Once Upon a Dream
by AmazingGraceless
Summary: Once upon a time, there was a maiden wandering for her past, a boy who wanted to be a knight, an evil king, a rebelling kingdom, and a wicked dragon. When the dragon took the mysterious girl that resembled the former queen, nothing would ever be the same. Reylo. Stormpilot. Fairytale!AU
1. The Scavenger's Journey

Once upon a time...

Dear reader, isn't that how all great stories begin? Once upon a time? One certainly does hope that it would make their tale great. What does make a great story, though? Is it about a princess and a knight? About courtly love? Isn't it about a wicked dragon taking the princess for his own among his glittering hoard in a haunted lair? Don't they all have wicked kings, and princes in disguise that regain the throne?

Most great stories have at least a few of these things, mixed in like a soup, a glorious soup that provides light to the world. For haven't you heard, dear reader? Stories are light. This story, this source of light, however, has all of these things. Now watch the tale unfold with the arrival of a girl.

Yes, a girl. She walked a lonely road every day, traveling for her memories. The girl had traveled for many years, but this had not dampened her spirits. Her heart still shined with light and the light made her beautiful, both inside and out. She had the appearance of the child queen long-forgotten, with her heart-shaped face and oddly-styled hair that shined like the sun and brown eyes that glimmered like the stars in the sky.

The girl was approaching the village of Coruscant in the kingdom of Naboo. Towers waving the blood-red flags loomed over the girl and she couldn't help but stare. _So this is the city of legend,_ the girl said to herself. Instead of being full of bright flowers and beautiful wonders like she'd heard in the village she'd grown up in-Jakku, the lifeless opposite-it was full of people rushing to get home, world-weary and fearful.

The girl wondered what had changed. She still hoped that the city might be able to help her find her past. She'd awoken in Jakku and had been put to work when she was seven years old. She didn't remember anything about her past, however, and was desperate to find out where she was from, who she once was.

She pulled out of her pocket a yellowed piece of parchment that smelled of lilacs and had elegant handwriting that was a work of art to look at upon it. _I'll come back for you, sweetheart. I promise._

The girl lifted it to her nose and closed her eyes. The lilacs smelled exactly how she thought her mother smelled like. Not watching her steps, she stumbled into the arms of a dark-skinned man. The parchment tumbled to the ground.

"My paper!" she cried, and she dropped to the ground to pick it up off of the cobblestones. She slipped it into the pocket in her cloak and accepted the man's hand. He helped her up and the two took each other in for a moment.

"Who are you?" He asked. "You don't look like you're from around here."

"I'm not," she admittedly. "My name is Rey."

"Finn," the man said. "I can tell. You look like you've still got hope."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rey asked, for she remembered hearing of the Golden Age, when Amidala, the Child Queen had come into power alongside the other three rulers, when the Queen journeyed with her merry band of Knights. It was supposed to be a happy place.

"Ever since the king came into power," Finn began, but then his dark eyes darted to the towers of the castle. "It's not safe to talk here. The king is always watching."

Rey shuddered at the thought, for she knew that only corrupt rulers kept such a close eye on their subjects. The good kings and queens of the past of four different bloodlines had faith that their subjects were pleased with their reign and didn't oppress their people to suppress rebellion.

"Follow me," Finn said after a quick glance at the towers above. He took her hand and they darted in an out and around things until they were in a small shelter Finn had set up. He sat down on a crate and pulled down the tarp.

"Need anything?" he asked.

"I'm fine."

"Well, things haven't been alright for some time, especially not since the fall of the four kings and queens, Jamilla, Amidala, Revan, and Isolder. First, there was the Dark Emperor that had wreaked destruction on the kingdom of Alderaan-"

"I remember hearing that story, but I didn't think the Dark Emperor was from here," Rey mused.

"He was an advisor for the kings and queens," Finn explained. "Or at least, that's what I've heard. Luke Skywalker was a farmboy that became a knight- apparently he was the brother of the princess- or her sweetheart, I don't quite remember which, and things were happy again. But now, the kingdom's been ruled by King Snoke."

"Why is everyone so afraid of him?" Rey asked. "Besides him watching everybody?"

"He uses magic against the people for his delight," Finn said in an almost-whisper. "There'd be a rebellion if it weren't for the dragon that Snoke claims he's keeping at bay."

"Dragon?" Rey asked.

There was then a roar in the distance. This roar had settled fear into the people. It had long since made widows out of newly-weds, had created orphans and had stolen any gold left that the king hadn't taxed away. Rey, despite not being there for long, knew the roar from her dreams. The roar was the sound of the monster, the monster that had come to get her. She leapt to her feet without another word.

She ran out into the open, Finn behind her to see the dragon swooping down onto them. The black scales shimmered like the stars in the night but were as deadly as the bottom of the sea. Jets of unstable raging fire destroyed the canvas camps in the alleyways and slums. Rey began towards the town square.

In the pavilion she stood, staring up at the monster above.

"Rey!" Finn shouted in despair.

She looked up to see the claws coming as they snatched her up. She screamed as she flew through the air, kicking and pounding at the dragon's claws. What she did not know, reader, was that the dragon did not want her for food or hostage.

You see, a dragon's heart is dark and selfish and his deeds will always reflect this. Because of his dark, wicked heart, he will crave light in the moments that despair overcomes him and he realizes his true nature. Because of his selfish desires, he will take whatever he considers to be beautiful to soothe his hurting heart. This dragon took the maiden because he saw her light in the village square-the light of twin suns, and knew he wanted it for himself.

With the maid Rey's fate uncertain and a story begun, I leave you to wonder what shall come next for our beautiful heroine.


	2. Forbidden Paravel

Let us continue our story of the dragon and the maiden, dear reader. Remember that everything is never as it seems.

In an abandoned castle, the dragon descended into the courtyard and let Rey down. She scrambled to her feet and backed away, pressing herself against the wall. She didn't wish to become food for a dragon when she hadn't even discovered where she came from. She looked around for weapons when the dragon flew off.

She frowned, but decided that she should be ready for when the dragon came back for her. She turned and pushed open the wooden doors. The hallway was dark, but she slowly ventured into the dark. Dirtied stain-glass windows that used to be of images of the greatest sorties of all time provided enough light for her not to trip on things as she made her way to what she supposed was the throne room once. Stuffing was ripped out of the chairs, and the floor was scratched from shards of glass from lamps and other things being destroyed on the surface.

Rey could almost see the people that might've lined up in there long ago. Sephora could almost see the old kings and queens sitting in the thrones, awaiting their subjects. But this was never the main castle and she knew it. This was something else.

 _Perhaps a retreat in times of peace,_ she thought as her fingers traced over the dusty, fading fabric. She shook her head, reminding herself of her mission. She wanted to find weapons, supplies, perhaps trousers to fight the dragon in if she could find a good pair, even if it was not sensible for maidens like her. She turned and jogged out of the throne room without a second through to the curtains covering a painting that might've captured her interest.

She jogged down the floors until she came to a double-stairwell in front of a cracked marble fountain that had run dry. Her fingers trailed along the dusty brass of the railings as she walked up the right side of the stairs. She walked down the lonely hallways that seemed to echo with ghosts of the past.

She picked up a rusty sword from one of the dented and rusted suits of armor and prayed that it would still be sharp enough to parry with a dragon's scales and claws. She then pushed open a random door. She could tell by the lack of certain materials and the trousers in the wardrobe that it was a bedchamber that belonged to a male servant.

She shut the door and pulled on trousers that made her feel more powerful and a shirt that felt good. She stuffed her dress in her satchel and then walked back into the hallway. She slid down the stair rail, clinging to the brass with a vengeance, the sword clinking in the sheath.

She hopped off and began to gather food.

* * *

When the twilight began to paint the sky pink and orange with the clouds, Rey crept to the doors of the courtyard. Already she could pick out the midnight-black creature soaring across the clouds. Her sweaty hands clutched the heavy sword with care. As the sun sunk further into the trees, the great creature landed in the courtyard. Rey steeled herself and charged.

Before she could land one strike on the dragon however, the last ray of the sun was gone and by magic the torches lit up instantly. In the place of the dragon was a dark-haired young man with all the airs of a prince. There was something twisted and dragonly about the man that stood in front of her.

She stopped in her tracks and held her shaking sword up for self-defense. She did not trust what she saw, for she'd heard stories of shape-shifting dragons.

"Wh-Who are you?" she asked.

"They call me in Coruscant Kylo Ren," he said. "I take this form only in the night. It's the price I must pay for my gift."

"Your gift? That's what you call turning into a dragon?" she demanded.

"Among other things," he said vaguely. "You didn't tell me your name, fair lady."

She resisted the urge to blush. "I'm Rey, but I am merely a nobody."

"A nobody?" Kylo Ren strode closer to Rey. "Surely not with looks like yours! You must be a somebody."

"Not really," Rey said, keeping her blade aloft. She'd heard the countless warning stories of the seductive voices of dragons that had lured many a foolish youth to their deaths. "I have no past, no memories. I came to Coruscant in attempt to find them."

His expression softened in a way that showed perhaps that there was still light in his dragon heart. "Come inside, put the blade down. You can tell me your story. I can tell you have many-those with the most light have the most stories, for stories are light."

Rey shook her head, not trusting her eyes. "You speak very convincingly, Kylo Ren, but I have heard of wicked dragons like you and what they do with unsuspecting maidens. Well, that will not happen to me! I refuse to let it happen!"

He frowned. "You still want to kill me? Even after I have revealed that at least in heart, I am partly human? Let me assure you, Lady Rey, you are my guest in this castle and nothing shall harm you, not even me."

While she knew in her mind that all he would most likely break his promises, she took a chance. For Rey, as strong and bright as she was, held loneliness inside her. Some days, it threatened to seize her in a fit of tears. Ever since she'd awoken with no memories in Jakku, she felt abandoned and feared that she would never discover her origins. Watching the other children with their parents, she wanted that for herself. She wanted love, unconditional love and roots. Her heart was leaping at the chance to be with this man or dragon, whichever he was, and she knew he could bring her companionship and fill the hole in her heart.

Dear reader, holes in hearts are very grievous things. Very grievous indeed. They might start up small at first, but it spreads, tearing at every other part of the heart until the hole is quite large. It cracks the edges until a heart is broken. And two things happen to broken hearts. They stay broken, maybe healed by time but never completely repaired. Or a broken heart mends itself, but it mends twisted.

Rey's heart, reader, had a gaping hole in it on the verge of breaking. To save herself and her heart, she lowered her blade and allowed Kylo Ren, whatever he may be, to escort her into the castle.

Now perhaps another time, I shall continue this tale, but for now, ponder upon broken hearts and wicked hearts and how they may relate to one another.


	3. Lonely Knights

Welcome back, dear reader. One must be worried for our brave Rey and her wicked dragon host. Do not fear, for their story is ready for you to read again.

As he led her down the once-great hall, Rey studied her captor carefully. With armor black as night and as sinister as that of the great Sith Warrior armor, she knew that she should be frightened by the dragon. Yet with his fair face, the face of a knight, she couldn't help but innately trust him. She kept her guards up, remembering the legends about dragons.

"I think you'll enjoy your stay with me," Kylo Ren said amicably.

"Stay?" Rey snapped. "I'm not some treasure you snatch up at your very wish! I am a human being!"

"You're right," he acknowledged. "And that makes you even more valuable to me."

"As some servant or serf?" Her eyes were fierce. She'd barely escaped the servitude that chained her to Unkar Plunkett, the Lord that ran Jakku.

"Heavens, no!" His laugh was deep and rich, a princely laugh. "You mean much more to me than that. I guess you could say that you have more sentimental value, although you are lovely."

A small blush and shudder ran through Rey. She'd never been told that she meant anything to anyone in that sort of way. She was only recognized for how she could work twice as hard as the men and had a more efficient mind.

"Well thank you, Sir Ren-"

"Kylo," he interrupted. "I would prefer if you called me Kylo, milady."

"Kylo, then," Rey finished hastily, flustered by the sudden familiarity. "Thank you for your pretty words, but I still want my freedom. I am no possession."

"And I shall not treat you like one," Kylo said. "You are my guest."

"A guest is free to leave," Rey snarled, and she followed him reluctantly into the kitchens. It looked like a place that was once great, once filled with thousands of the finest chefs that would've been employed by the four great monarchs of every generation. Rey stared in awe, for she had never had quite enough to eat and couldn't imagine how anyone could eat so much to require such a large kitchen. Kylo walked past her and opened a cupboard.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

"Preparing food for us," he answered as if it were obvious. "I wouldn't let you starve, milady."

"I can handle it myself," she replied coldly as she marched up and pulled out several loaves of bread.

"You do not trust a knight to cook for you?" he asked somewhat teasingly.

"Oh, I trust a knight," Rey assured him. "What I do not trust is a dragon."

"Milady, I am no dragon in the hours of the night," he told her, taking her hands into his. "I promise you that this is my true form and I shall not transform until the first ray of dawn tomorrow. I have told you-no harm shall come to you here."

Something in the young maiden softened towards the draconic knight. She removed her hands but wore a mild expression.

"Sir Kylo, I appreciate your kind words, but I need to leave," she said urgently. "You see, I am on a Quest to try and discover the secrets of my past."

"Your past?" Kylo blinked.

"I do not remember my family or where I originally came from, or who even left me on Jakku. Lord Plunkett would not tell me, so I intend to discover the truth for myself," Rey explained daringly.

"Quite the Quest for one so young," Kylo drawled.

Rey tilted her head to the side in confusion. "But you are so young! You could be no older than me!"

"I am older than you think, milady, but I appreciate your compliment," he told her. He then considered her for a moment, eyes as dark as his scales had been. "So you do not know your family?"

"No, but I know that they're out there somewhere," she said in a cheery, optimistic tone. "They might not have come back for me, but instead they're just waiting for me to return."

Kylo held back his cynical and more realistic views on her statements. "How do you know?"

Her answer surprised him. "I dreamed it. I've dreamed it for years. I think my family is in some land with plenty of lakes, like the summer paravel that the Four Kings and Queens used."

"Are you sure?" Kylo asked. His voice softened. "I don't think that they're still around if they haven't come for you."

"NO!" Rey shook her head as she took a step back. "That's not true! That can't be true! That's impossible! No no no no!"

With every word, she'd stepped even further back. "My family is out there, and you, Sir Kylo, just don't understand the truth about families! They never leave one another behind."

"Do they now?" His voice was dangerously icy. "You haven't heard of my family, then. My mother was always too busy for her oldest son, and my father was a disappointment. As for my sister and brother. . . They were all disappointments."

He stopped and his own face softened at Rey, who looked ready to cry. She shook her head. "You forsook them. You don't understand the power of the light within us all, especially in families."

"I'm sorry, milady," he said, and he knelt. "I beg your forgiveness, Lady Rey for my misplaced comments. I did not mean to upset you."

"I understand," Rey said, hesitating. Then she spoke the words that can set one free. "I forgive you."

"Thank you," he said, looking up at her with a longing and desire past the type of desire most dragons hold for their gold in their wicked hearts. It was the desire of a desperate man in need of a hero to save him. Or in this case, a heroine.

He rose to his feet and managed a smile, a strange but beautiful thing in Rey's opinion.

"Shall we eat something together, then?"

"I think we shall, Sir Kylo."

I believe that shall satisfy enough of your curiosity. Perhaps next time we shall check in with the noble Finn, what a kind soul he is. But do not fear, you shall still hear more of Lady Rey and Sir Kylo Ren and their adventure.


	4. True Love

Once again, let us dive into the story of Finn, who we have ignored greatly. After the attack of Kylo Ren, he was much more motivated than some of the other villagers. . .

"We've got to try to save her!" Finn was pleading with Dame Phasma, leader of Snoke's Storm Knights, a group of enforcers infamous for their brute strength. Finn trained as one but had rarely been called into action due to his "softer tendencies." All that meant was that he was a compassionate and empathetic individual who had a love for all of humanity that seemed to encompass him. Alas, his shortcoming was that he was a coward. If given the chance, he would always run.

"Scout Finn, it appears that you do not remember the last time we tried to storm the castle, do you?" she asked coldly, her icy eyes piercing at Finn. "I was promoted to head because I was the only survivor. Otherwise they wouldn't have dared have a woman as leader of the Storm Knights. I remember that the rivers ran red with blood that day. We were lucky that only a few things were set on fire and only a stranger was taken."

"She couldn't have known about that a dragon was going to swoop her up when she visited Coruscant!" Finn argued.

"Well, she should've run out of the way," Dame Phasma answered. "Now if you'll excuse me, Scout Finn, I have duties to our own citizens that I have to attend to. Good day."

Finn watched her walk away. He knew that she was wrong. He had to rescue Rey. He didn't know why exactly, but there was something about her that seemed familiar. He had the feeling that she was important and that he ought to know who she was, but he didn't.

He, for the first time, reader, felt the calling of courage. He for once wanted to stop running. He wanted to be the real hero and was ready to try. He knew exactly where to begin his quest to rescue Rey. He began the walk to the castle in the distance that belonged to Lady Maz Kanata.

Finn had heard many things about Lady Kanata. She was a wise, short old woman who was rumored to have Seen the future and could tell people their destinies. She also associated with what King Snoke would've considered the wrong sort of people but Queen Leia of Alderaan would've considered to be right. After all, the King Consort Han Solo of Corellia was thought to have snuck in from time to time with his beastly friend Chewbacca.

If he could perhaps get help from the legendary heroes of Alderaan, he could perhaps have the magic of Luke Skywalker, Prince of Alderaan and heir to the Jedi Knights on his side. After all, his magic was supposed to have defeated Lord Vader of Tattooine, the main enforcer of the Dark Emperor.

Finn sighed. He hoped that Lady Kanata would help him.

* * *

Sir Kylo Ren and Lady Rey had both been eating a surprisingly good meal in the kitchen. Rey was pleased by the richness of the food, something well beyond what she had fared upon in Jakku. She was also surprised at the kindness that Kylo was showing her. She never expected a dragon to be like that.

"Tell me, Kylo," Rey said between bites of the cucumber and sausage sandwich she had made for herself. "You claim that your dragonly form is a gift. How did you come upon that gift?"

Kylo's face darkened. "It isn't a happy story, milady."

"I don't care if it isn't happy, I just want to know," Rey insisted.

"Fine, I shall tell you," he said with a sigh, relenting to the luminous girl. "Magic is strong in my family. My grandfather was a warlock. My mother was a warlock. I am one as well. My teacher, a very wise man by the name of Plagueis, taught me how to use my gift to cast a spell resulting in that form. It came at a price, however, but not one I wasn't willing to pay."

"That price was your humanity!" Rey protested.

"Only in the sunlight hours," Kylo corrected. "I did it for protection."

"From what?" she demanded. "What would be so important to protect yourself from that you'd hide away, sacrifice your humanity, and run away from your family and true home?"

"Nothing you need to know about," he answered.

"No, tell me!"

"I said you don't need to know!"

The clock began to chime eleven and Kylo's eyes widened. "I have to go. Please feel free to take one of the bed chambers- just knock first, please! Goodnight, Lady Rey!"

With that, he stumbled out of the room and ran.

Rey frowned, wondering what was going on, but she decided that now would be a good time to perhaps explore and see if maybe she could leave the castle. As fascinating as Kylo Ren was, she wanted her freedom and she needed to find her family. She could come back later, but she had to find her family first.

* * *

Finn had arrived in the castle of Lady Kanata and was trying not to stare at anything in particular. He could see, however, in the back an elderly man sitting next to a furry troll and a young woman with long brown hair and a startling resemblance to the older man. On the other side of the furry troll was a short woman with ebony skin and large crystal glasses that made her black eyes seem larger than life.

Finn was about to approach them when he tripped and fell, bringing down another man with him. He quickly scrambled to his feet and watched as the young man rose. He expected to be yelled at for his clumsiness, as he always was by Dame Phasma, but instead the young man laughed.

Reader, it was a good-natured laugh. It was the laugh of a man who had a certain charisma that made everyone around him instantly feel as if they'd known him for a thousand years. He was the type of person that wanted to make others feel good and did because he himself was so secure about his own identity.

Finn was taken aback by the charismatic young man with roguish good looks and a leather jacket. Dear reader, do you know what it is like when you look at someone and see forever in their eyes? Eternity, the stars, and it seems to be an eternity that you will be in? Reader, Finn had experienced love at first sight. Maybe one would think he had with Rey, but with this young man, he could suddenly see before his eyes a future in which they would live happily together, perhaps adopt and raise children together and most importantly love each other till the end of time.

The young man seemed to realize it too, and he raised his hand almost in a dreamlike state. He smiled and Finn couldn't help but smile back and wonder how he felt like he was defying gravity.

"I'm Finn."

The man smiled wider. "Poe. Poe Dameron of Endor."


	5. Quest for Kylo Ren

My apologies, readers for stopping the story so abruptly last time, but your Scheherazade is ready to continue again from Finn's experience of love at first sight.

The spell was broken when Finn remembered why he was there in Lady Kanata's castle in the first place. His face fell, for her wanted to chat with Poe Dameron of Endor, but he needed to rescue Rey. He started to abruptly walk past Poe, when the man stopped him, looking worried.

"What's wrong, Finn?" he asked. Finn couldn't help but marvel how beautiful his name sounded when they came from this beautiful man's lips.

"I need to get help from Lady Kanata, Sir Dameron-"

"Call me Poe," the other man insisted. "You let me call you Finn."

"That's because I don't have a last name," Finn explained.

"A pity," Poe muttered. "Sorry, please continue your story before I so rudely interrupted."

"A friend of mine was taken by that dragon, Kylo Ren, and I need to rescue her," Finn explained.

"Kylo Ren?" Poe couldn't help but smirk. "Well, you've come to the right man. I happen to be the only person to have ever escaped Ren's castle alive. I know how to get in and out without him knowing."

"Thank you, Poe," Finn said. "I came in wanting to find Han Solo of Corellia, but I had no idea I'd find someone even better suited to the job!"

"Wait, Han Solo?"

The brunette sitting next to the old man at the table in the back rose. She was dressed unusually, in trousers and the blouse of a dress. She wore no corset and her hair was flowing behind her like a waterfall. As she drew closer, Finn couldn't help but notice a sword on her belt and a long, elegant stick woven through a slot in her black armband.

Poe looked over to her and smiled briefly. "Hello, Jaina."

"It's good to see you again, Poe," Jaina said. "Mother misses having you around. You should come back to Yavin Castle."

"I will, soon," he promised. "I'm still scouting out more information about Kylo Ren for my queen."

"Understood," Jaina replied. "And I hope you find news as to what happened to my brother."

"Brother?" Finn asked.

"Oh, sorry," Poe said, looking back at Finn and smiling a little more brightly for him. "Finn, this is Jaina Organa, crown princess of Alderaan, daughter of Han Solo of Corellia and Queen Leia Organa of Alderaan."

"Could you not announce it here?" she asked, looking around for any threats.

"I doubt anyone could get past the Sword of the Jedi," Poe replied. "You'd just take them out with your magic, then continue to cut them to pieces like your ruthless worship always does. Everyone knows that the Goddess Queen isn't one worth trying to fight."

"I'm not queen yet," Jaina reminded him with a haughty tone. "I do not understand why anyone calls me that."

She looked back at Finn. "I'm sorry, I didn't answer your question, did I? My brother, Ben, my twin? He's been missing for five years now. Mother worries. I'm sorry, I just remembered why I came over here. You were looking for my father?"

"Yes," Finn said, his mind reeling at the thought of meeting the Goddess Queen and Sword of the Jedi. "I need help rescuing a friend in Kylo Ren's castle."

"Do you?" Jaina looked angry. "That thing's been hurting so many. . . I've been waiting for my chance. Mother and Father wouldn't let me because I'm the heir-but that is no matter. I'm sure I can get my father to help me since Mother isn't around."

"Could you?" Finn sighed in relief. "Thank you, milady-"

"Call me Jaina, I get enough of the milady thing in the court," Jaina interrupted. "Let me go talk to Father."

With that, the princess disappeared into the crowd. Finn looked to Poe in awe.

"Who are you?" he asked. "If you can talk to the princess of Alderaan like that, you just be someone important."

"I'm an operative for Queen Leia," Poe explained. "I get to explore other kingdoms. I always liked traveling, to be honest. The road is home to me."

"Must get lonely," Finn remarked.

"It does," Poe said. "But I have friends everywhere. Besides, my kelpie is pretty good company."

"Kelpie?"

"A little fey creature that talks-you'll see him outside," Poe promised. "Very useful, has a dead good memory. But he's sweet, too."

"He sounds like a good traveling companion," Finn said.

"He is, but we've both been considering another companion," Poe said. "Perhaps you'd be interested?"

"Perhaps," Finn answered smiling. They were interrupted by the rough cough of the short Alderaanian princess.

"Tomorrow night, we strike," she murmured, and she walked away.

Finn couldn't wait.

* * *

Rey was startled by the loud flapping and ran to her tower window. The black dragon set off over the woods. She looked back at the room. She didn't remember how she'd gotten there, she'd been so tired. Her dreams left her exhausted, though.

It had started with a scream of a child.

" _NO_!"

She'd been standing in a castle with luminous sea-glass panels and started to run towards a boy at the end of the hallway, only for the floor to fall out from under her. Rain made her dress cling to her skin as she recovered from her hard fall onto the ground. She heard then the hiss of a sword unsheathed and looked up to see a glowing sword pierce through the Sith Knight that was about to chop off her head.

The knight that had saved her seemed both familiar and a threat. Rey scrambled to her feet and backed away. The air became bitterly cold and she turned to see a snowy landscape. The scene in the rain was gone.

" _Rey_?"

A grandfatherly voice came across but she turned to try and find her way out of this, only to come face-to-face with Kylo Ren as a dragon. He snarled as she tried to back away.

"Kylo?"

In response, she got a face full of fire. She remembered as she'd awoken that she had heard the grandfatherly voice again.

" _These are your first steps._ "

Rey knew it too. She also knew that she couldn't stay with the dragon any longer. She had to continue with her quest. She grabbed a scarlet cloak from the mannequin. It was surprisingly large for a cloak that was in what appeared to be a child's room. She picked up her sword and her backpack and began to enter the hallway.

In the courtyard, she began climbing the overgrown rose vines, but when she had scaled to the top, she put one hand against the edge of the ledge and the air was solid. Frowning, Rey poked her sword at it. The invisible shield wasn't going to hold itself against her.

Sighing, she turned around and began wandering through the abandoned castle. She could almost hear voices of the past, singing in harmony with no words. They seemed to guide her to a stretch of wall covered in ivy and leaves. Her fingers ran over the stones and she stared at the wall for a moment. She closed her eyes instinctively. Her fingers instinctively ran against a certain stone.

When Rey opened her eyes, she saw a glowing capstone. She tapped it and the wall slid away. She watched as the floor in front dropped into stairs and she descended into the darkness.

Reader, perhaps you should remember what happens to those who can face the dark alone. They might not always have happily ever afters, but their spirit fares better than those who cannot face the light.

Remember this as you wait for the pages to turn once more.


	6. Chambers of Silver and Gold

Ready for more? Well, aren't you eager today? Let us begin then, upon Lady Rey and her exploration of the forbidden paravel.

* * *

Rey watched as firelight sprang out of the torches, lighting up a room full of gold and silver. She descended the stone staircase as she marveled at the treasures below. At the end of the room were four statues of gold inlaid with jewels, towering over four trunks. Rey wove between the heaps of gold that would make her as rich as a queen and to the statues that had caught her attention.

The four figures were of the Ancient Four, the kings and queens that had begun the bloodline tradition of four monarchs ruling the kingdom in peace. Rey had heard the tales of the Jedi that had become royalty.

Allya Djo the Brave of the wild Dathomir Forest, Veruna Naberrie the Wise of the slowly rising Coruscant, Meetra Surik the Exile of humble Jakku, and Ulic Qel-Droma the Wanderer of Alderaan. Brave, wise, wandering exiles that became king.

Rey felt like an exile herself, outcast from everywhere and wandering for her family. She was certainly brave, although she didn't feel wise. Her wisdom was from experience, not from learning in a school, and this made it more difficult to discern.

She looked up at the statues and then down at the trunk. She lifted open the first trunk in front of the woman with a bow, arrows, and a circlet of laurels. In the emerald-inlaid trunk, there wasn't much, but in a sort of ceremonial way, there were four things in the trunk. After examining the sapphire, topaz, and ruby trunks, she could say the same for all of them.

In the trunk of Allya Djo, there was a bow with all the animals and creatures imaginable carved into them, and her quiver of arrows with the tale of the Great Je'ddai War, the schism that began the conflict of light and dark in the beginning of time. Also there was a long stick that Rey realized was a wand, curved in an odd way with a figurine of a falcon perched upon the longer edge of the stick branching off from the main wand. Also inside was a sword, glowing softly green with the queen's name carved into the iron handle.

In front of all of these things was a crown made to look like a circlet of leaves as displayed on Queen Allya's crown. Rey stared for a moment, feeling a sort of connection to it, then moved on to the trunk of Veruna Naberrie.

There was a similar display, except instead of a bow and arrows, there was a large book of spells. Rey could even read that as the title. The Book of Spells. His wand was different, she noticed, being more dainty despite belonging to a male ruler, and much more sophisticated than Allya's. His sword also glowed a different color, a soft blue, matching the sapphires on the outside. His crown also had more of a sophisticated, refined feel as well.

Rey couldn't help but feel like she was supposed to stand up straighter, give a more posh pout in the presence of such regal objects. She felt more drawn anyway to Meetra Surik's trunk. The blade in there glowed with all the light of the sun. Her wand was full of notches covering up the original design, as if counting the days for something. The crown there had a landscape carved in of all of Naboo. Her other artifact was a strange map in stranger lettering.

As Rey approached the final one, she could sense a sort of mix between light and dark. The ruby blade glittered with a certain malice, yet the ancient wand had a nice feel to it, despite being more ancient than the rest. His crown looked as if it were made of bones, yet the cloak when Rey pressed it to her nose, smelled like the sweetest scent she could ever remember. Almost like lilacs.

There was a rumble, and Rey looked to see the shadow of a dragon blocking out the sun. There was a flick of a powerful tail sent gold tumbling in. She shut the trunks to preserve them, and began running to the stairs. Kylo poked his head in and gave a few grumbles.

"I don't speak dragon," Rey reminded him.

He sighed and lowered himself closer to the ground with a nod towards his back.

"You want me to get on?" Rey asked.

She hesitated for fear of the dragonly form of Kylo Ren, but she couldn't help but want to fly. She'd dreamed of it her whole life and wanted to do it. In a moment of courage, she climbed onto the dragon's back, and instantly felt at home.

"Be my wings," she whispered sweetly into the dragon's ear. After carefully backing out, the dragon took off, plunging into the sky, the color of verity.

* * *

While they took their lovely ride, Finn and Poe talked outside of Lady Kanata's castle the next day.

"This is my kelpie, BeBe the Eighth," Poe introduced. The kelpie was a round, small, furry creature with two horns and a spotted orange and white patterned coat. The kelpie made a chattering noise and cocked his head.

"I thought kelpies talked," Finn said as he outstretched his hand to pat the kelpie.

"You have to listen with your heart and you'll understand," Poe said.

Finn closed his eyes. "Sorry, I don't hear anything."

Poe laughed. "It's alright, listening with the heart takes time."

"Maybe if I travel with you enough, I'll understand him enough."

"Yes, perhaps," Poe agreed. "Does that mean that you will?"

"You really want me to come?" Finn asked, surprised.

"Of course, why wouldn't I?" Poe asked, grinning wider and leaning closer.

Finn was left speechless. He'd never really been wanted like this before, as company, not as some brute and not even the best of them.

"I'd be grateful to come," Finn said, leaning in even closer. They almost kissed, and would've, if not for the kelpie. He honked, drawing Poe's attention, causing him to pull away and feed BeBe more bread. Finn sighed.

Isn't it both comedic and tragic when a romantic moment is ruined? Especially when one discovers later that it was their only chance. But enough about that. Well, the hour is getting late, and I must retire.


	7. Attack on Kanata's Castle

Welcome back. I see many of you have brought friends to hear the story. Come closer to the fire, dear readers, and let us continue the tale.

* * *

Lady Rey let out a whoop on Kylo Ren's back, screaming in delight when he started doing stunts and twirls and showing off to his maiden prize. She almost forgot that the dragon was holding her captive. She almost forgot about her quest, almost forgot even her own name with the wind rushing past, every nerve on edge and her fingers tight from clutching onto Kylo's neck scales.

She could feel a cat-like rumble of pleasure coming from Kylo and laughed. What she did not know, reader, was how her laughter was like the sunshine to Kylo Ren. While it initially burned, it warmed him in a way that fire could not-his heart.

Hearts, as I've told you before, are delicate things. While they can be strong and weather many cracks and holes, but there will always be something that can make it break. What many don't know about wicked hearts are that those hearts are the ones that healed up wrong, and they heal twisted. Remember how I told you of how Rey's heart was on the verge of breaking? Kylo's is actually broken, reader. With clumsy stitches and small holes still left within, Kylo's broken heart was not mended well.

How his heart broke, I cannot tell. That is for him alone to tell you, but perhaps he will get to tell his story soon. . .

Rey looked down upon Lady Kanata's castle, amazed at the statue of a powerful lady atop it (the very host of the castle, who has an interesting story as to how it came to be) and waved at the two people sitting on the steps outside. She laughed again as he flew them upside down and in spirals.

She never wanted this moment to end.

* * *

Finn's eyes widened at Rey atop the dragon's back. He knew that this could be his chance to rescue her. He scrambled to his feet and ran inside, closely trailed by Poe and BeBe the Eighth.

"I have important news!" Finn shouted, gathering the attention of those in Lady Kanata's Hall. "Kylo Ren is here and we have a chance to defeat him!"

At this, everyone began panicking and running. A short, dark-skinned woman with crystal glasses and an elegant dress that still allowed movement ran over to Finn. She looked him up and down and pulled him by the hand. Poe and his kelpie ran after him as she led him down to the dungeons, grabbed a torch off the wall, and escorted him to where Jaina Organa, an old man, and a Wookie, a sort of fey that looked out for those who helped him were waiting.

"Leia's going to kill me for letting Jaina get in this situation," the old man lamented to the woman.

"Han, we have other problems to worry about," the woman scolded.

"Maz-"

"You're Lady Maz Kanata?" Finn interrupted. "And Han Solo of Corellia?"

"So this is Jaina's friend," the old man grumbled.

"Yes," Lady Kanata answered. "And I have foreseen your arrival. The man who always runs-until he finally finds something worth fighting for, or someone."

Finn nodded, not sure how this woman had summed him up so perfectly.

"And you are looking for the girl who wanders for her past. She does not know that her past has left her behind and will never come back for her. Her destiny lies in the future," Lady Kanata continued. "Well, we must move quickly, then. Take this, be my champion, and we shall see who you become."

She then presented Finn with a sword. A light blue glow emitted from the metal. Finn stared at it, then picked it up, feeling stronger with it in his hands.

"I see that there will be a fight, then," Jaina said. She pulled out of her armband her stick- no, Finn realized, it was a wand- with her left hand, her sword that had a glow that waxed and waned between blue and violet with the other.

Finn nodded at Jaina while Han and Poe drew their bows and strung their arrows, as did the Wookie, the famous Chewbacca, Finn supposed. They all looked to him, so he began to lead the way out to where a tail flicked, sending the statue tumbling. Lady Kanata's hands shot up, and the stones halted in midair, saving the party from almost-certain death.

"Run! This is your chance, my champion!" Lady Kanata ordered.

Finn nodded and began running, only to look up and see multiple black dragons flying around, setting fire to everything. A jet of fire was coming his way, and almost instinctively, he raised his blade, only to find it reflecting the fire.

"Good job, kid," Jaina interjected as she raised her own sword. "Just follow my lead and we might be able to rescue your friend."

"Why are there more than one, though?" Finn asked as he stared up at the sky, ignoring the people running around him.

"This isn't some ordinary dragon," Jaina said with a frown. "He must've been a warlock at some point or there might be a warlock that he serves. Maybe. . . "

Her brandy-colored eyes widened and she screamed.

"JACEN!"

With that, she fell to her knees and her wand and sword clattered on the cobblestone walkway.

"Jaina!" Han knelt beside his little girl. "Jaina, sweetheart, what's wrong?"

She was moaning incomprehensibly and seemed out of it, as if she was seeing things that weren't present.

Finn quickly blocked them from another jet of fire when he heard a familiar scream. Rey's. He looked above him to see one dragon with her on its back, flying far away from the commotion.

"Rey!" He yelled, but he didn't think that she heard him. The dragons then closed in on him and the civilians. He was sure that this would be the end. It wasn't fair, though. He had only just started fighting, had only just stopped running. He hated that this would be the end-except it wasn't.

Right on cue, several arrows shot up into the sky, headed by two youths with glowing swords.

"You cannot win, Kylo Ren!" One shouted, stepping forwards. "We have come to answer Kanata's call and will defeat you."

The dragon roared, and disappeared completely. The young man walked over to Jaina first.

"Is she okay?" He asked, looking afraid.

"She'll be fine," Han promised.

"Good," the young man said. "Mother said hello, by the way." He turned to Finn. "I'm Anakin Organa, or more commonly, Anakin Solo, the heir to the Jedi."

* * *

And with that bombshell, I must go. Goodbye, my lovely readers! Perhaps tomorrow there will be more.


	8. Twin Suns

Ah, right on schedule. Where were we? Ah, yes, thank you for reminding me.

* * *

Finn looked between Jaina (who was getting to her feet) and Anakin.

"I can see the resemblance," Finn said.

Anakin smiled. "I like you. I think we'll get along just fine. Tahiri, if you could organize the Twin Suns, that would be great."

"Of course, Sir Ani," the blonde next to him said with a smile and a kiss on the cheek. Then she skipped away.

"I see Mother let you take the Twin Suns Squadron," Jaina remarked. "My personal squadron."

Anakin shrugged. "The other squadrons are busy fighting the Orders of King Snoke. The First Order, Second Order, Third Order. You know them all."

Finn remembered being a member of the Final Order, the home defense.

"What happened?" Finn asked.

Jaina looked at him, her clenched fists trembling with a primal rage. "I-I got a feeling from that dragon, a sensation through the Force, and-"

"Jaya, what's wrong?" Anakin asked.

When Jaina looked her brother in the eye, tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"Kylo Ren killed our brother. And he will pay for what he did," she vowed.

"Hatred is of the dark," Anakin reminded her in a soft voice, and he hugged her. Han and Chewbacca then hugged the both of them.

Poe put his arm around Finn.

"I knew Jacen," he whispered to Finn. "Great kid, even if he was a little lost in his magical world. I can't believe that a magical creature would kill him. They had a bond."

"Maybe Jacen made a mistake," Finn whispered back.

"Perhaps," Poe reluctantly agreed.

"Are you Finn?"

The blonde girl had come back, and was close enough that Finn could see three long scars on her forehead.

"Yes, milady?" He asked.

"I'm not a lady, I'm just a Jedi Knight," she said cheerfully. "My name is Tahiri Veila of Tattooine. I heard that you, Jaina, Han, Chewbacca, Sir Dameron, and BeBe the Eighth were planning on slaying Kylo Ren?"

"Yes, to rescue a friend," Finn confirmed.

"Well, me and Ani will come with you," Tahiri promised. "Leia sent us to take care of it, and I guess we just happen to share goals."

"Yes," Finn agreed. "What happened to the other Jedi Knights?"

Tahiri's face darkened. "Kylo Ren killed them all five years ago."

"Except for you."

"Yes."

The two stared at each other as if they'd come to an agreement.

"Tonight we strike."

* * *

Rey had run off of Kylo's back the second they landed in the castle courtyard. She was fiercely reminded of the dragon's true nature right then and there and couldn't help but run. She thought that maybe she could trust this, but she couldn't. Kylo Ren was a monster to her and there was no denying it any longer.

When the sun went down a few hours later, Kylo Ren was knocking at her door.

"Go away!" She shouted.

"Rey, I wanted to apologize," he said in a clearly miserable voice.

"Don't apologize to me! Apologize to the innocent people you tried to set on fire!" Rey yelled.

"They were trying to kill me!" He argued.

"Well maybe it's because you're infamous for setting people on fire!" She retorted.

"Just let me in, Rey. Please?"

Sensing that her heart was about to break from another broken home, another untrustworthy relationship, she sighed and let him in. That didn't stop her from punching him in the face, however.

"Ow!" He yelped as he got to his feet. "I deserved that. I'm sorry, Rey. I wish I could undo it."

"I don't believe you," Rey replied coldly.

"I-I'm trying to explain that-" he stumbled to the side as if he'd slapped himself. "I mean, I'm not the bad guy, Rey. I am no villain."

"Really?" Rey snarled. "Because that isn't what either kingdom of Naboo or Alderaan would say! Both call you a monster, and your draconic form reflects it perfectly. I know a wicked heart when I see one."

"Please, Rey, please," he begged. Rey's face softened. It was the kind of begging she had. He was begging for something more than what was on the surface. There was something wrong, something he couldn't tell her that made him need her.

"I accept your apology, but it is not me that needs to forgive you," she assured him.

"Thank you."

The two hugged as their light and dark pulsed together.

* * *

While you think of the consequences of the sun meeting the moon, I must leave. But I appreciate your audience, for this is a story of light that needs to be told.


	9. Initial Siege of the Paravel

Hello again, my dears. Perhaps the faeries have graced you with luck lately? No? Well, hopefully they can spare some for you. I have been cursed by the peskies, lately, if I were to guess, but that is a story for later. It's nice to see people like you with magic still in your hearts.

But you want to know of Rey and Finn! Ah, let us see. It is time to tell of the nightfall. Of course, Kylo had transformed into a human again. He and Rey had a tense dinner together, but she was still trying to figure out what it was that she had seen. He had retired at midnight, like he had the night before, and Rey herself had returned to the tower. It was a princess's room once, it seemed with the little dolls and pink that would've been perfect.

She smiled faintly, as if she somehow remembered it, and then fell asleep to dream of a dark-haired boy pounding against the surface of a mirror, for he was a reflection trying to break out while his solid form tried to keep him.

* * *

Finn was ready to storm the castle with the help of Han Solo, Chewbacca, Jaina Organa, Anakin Solo, Tahiri Veila, and Kyp's Dozen (apparently the Kyp they'd been named after had died in the fight against the Knights of Ren). They were marching to the rotted gates of the castle.

"It's easier to come in then out," Poe said as he walked to the door. "Under no circumstances will you close the gates! Understand?"

A roar of agreement came from the army. Jaina ran up the moss-covered stone steps, and pulled open the gates. She raised her glowing violet sword.

"Tonight, we kill the beast that killed Prince Ben Organa!" she shouted.

"I thought he was Jacen. . ." Finn whispered to Tahiri.

"His birth name was Ben, but because he was Jaina's twin, we said Jay-Ben, and it became Jacen," Tahiri explained in a whisper. "It was really Jaina's nickname for him, though."

"Oh," Finn said. "I understand."

"KILL THE DRAGON!" Jaina finished, and the Dozen charged.

* * *

Rey could hear them in her tower. She rose and flung open to shudder to see the torches and arrows of the intruders. She hastily shut the door and pulled on breeches underneath her nightgown and grabbed a sword. She pulled her bag over her shoulder and started running down the cold stone steps.

"Rey!"

She ran towards the shout. It was Finn, she knew it like she knew her own name and that her mother had left her note. She ran, for she knew that she would need his knightly heart to help her solve the mysteries surrounding the castle, and to help her leave.

She stopped cold in front of the hallway. The suits of armor had come to life and were barring the way. She tried to step forward, only for two suits to cross their spears, blocking her path.

* * *

The Dozen was split up, with Han, Chewbacca, Poe, and Finn going for where they thought that Rey might be.

"Rey!" Finn shouted as he ran, brandishing his glowing sword. "Rey!"

"Up this way," Han said, translating growls of Chewbacca. "Come on!"

They ran up a hallway to see Rey arguing fiercely with suits of armor. Several were in front and they immediately raised their swords against the brave heroes. Poe, Chewbacca, and Han immediately fired their arrows, while Finn began swinging his sword against the surprises strong rusted suits.

On the other side, Rey was slashing through the suits with a vengeance and supernatural force that wasn't entirely natural. Between their opponents, Finn and Rey lost sight of each other, only to whirl around and find themselves face-to-face as their last enemies fell.

"You came back for me," Rey said as she hugged Finn. "You came back."

"Of course I would," Finn said.

"We can hug later," Han interrupted. "We need to get out of here."

"Is that Han Solo of Corellia?" Rey asked.

"In the flesh," Han replied.

"I'm Poe Dameron, this is Chewbacca, and BeBe the Eighth, and we're going to get you out of here," Poe added.

"Thank you," Rey said, touched by the people Finn had rallied to come and save her. "Let's go."

The raced back to the stairwell, only to see it all wrong, with parts of the stairs upside-down and on the wall as well as several entrances.

* * *

Jaina fought viciously through the armor, and was suddenly checked into a wall. She cried out as her shoulder pressed into a stone, causing the wall to spin around behind her. She fell to the ground, disoriented, but then rose all alone in the secret passageway.

"Clever for a princess," a deep but familiar voice rumbled in what seemed to be the ceiling.

"I'm not just any princess, Kylo Ren," Jaina snapped, raising her lightsaber to the ceiling. "I can take anything you throw at me!"

"Really? Anything?" He sounded amused in his drawl. "Let's see what you can do."

Jaina ran down the corridor to see it open up into a labyrinth.

"Let's see if you can solve my little maze."

"Nice try, Kylo Ren!" Jaina taunted, and she ran left at every turn, remembering the trick that her father had taught her. If you turned left in a maze at every turn except when you had to turn right, you would eventually map out the whole maze and come back to where you started.

She pondered the voice of the dragon as she began this endeavor.

Reader, have you ever heard the voices of the lost? You can hear them whispering in the corridor. Everyone hears different lost voices. Perhaps for you it was your cat that ran away five years ago. Maybe it was your grandfather. And on rare occasions, you might hear the voice of that person you were too late for.

Jaina heard this voice at night, this voice of the lost, and had wondered why it was calling to her so strongly. . . Yet she was afraid to know.

Have you ever been afraid of the truth? It is an awful thing, as awful as a grown man being afraid of the dark.

I must leave, I'm afraid, but try and listen to the voices that call to you.


	10. Chained Hearts

Ah yes, for you must be wondering of how Tahiri Veila, Anakin Solo, and Twin Suns and Kyp's Dozen were handling themselves, yes?

They fought with a certain strength that could only be fueled by the power of love. Love for their comrades lost to the dragon. Love for the prince that had perhaps been the first victim of the monster. Love for each other and their determination to survive one last time, and save the kingdoms of the Feudal Alliance for good.

Tahiri and Anakin fought with a sort of bond, putting them into a perfect sync. Their blades of blue and purple and their spells flowed with precision as they battled the suits of armor come to life with all the grace instilled into them through their dancing classes. You could see that they were each other's half, together stronger than the sum of their parts.

"Where's Jaina?" Tahiri yelled over the roar of battle as she looked over her shoulder, her back pressed to Anakin's.

"I don't know!" Anakin shouted in reply, startled by the realization. He then kicked a suit of armor to the floor and cast a spell that made it lose its animation.

"Come on, we need to find the crown princess!" Anakin yelled, and the Twin Suns and Kyp's Dozen ran down after them, cheering war cries and singing feral, primal songs of battles come long before.

* * *

Rey's mind whirred at the sight of the mixed-up staircase. She took a deep breath, and took a step. Then another. And another. It appeared that she was walking on thin air, but she could feel the steps.

"Come on," she said, gesturing to her "rescuers" and they followed.

They'd gotten about halfway down the stairway when everything seemed to flip. Rey and the others fell onto another platform and she stood amongst her companions.

"We need to climb up," Rey said, her mind starting to rearrange the pieces of the puzzle in her mind. She outstretched her hand and began to rearrange the pieces right before their very eyes. Suddenly, the staircase looked normal. They would just have to go down to the platform of the main staircase and they would be fine.

* * *

As Jaina continued through the maze, she couldn't help but think about Jacen. Her twin was her other half. Her companion in life. They'd confided secrets in each other and had shared a bond. A bond as strong as life itself. But then one day, like a candle, it went out. She thought for years that it was the day he disappeared for years. Now she knew it was the day he died.

A spike of vengeance made her step a little faster. The monster that was toying with her, playing cat and mouse, was the one that killed her brother. Her lip curled into a snarl as the Goddess Queen's face began to grimace in a small show of the wrath that was boiling beneath the surface. Her heart, reader? It is very strong, very pure. Yet it was broken by some shadow that she did not know had shaped her so strongly.

Her heart was broken, reader, and she did not know it. It had no time to heal yet, but it could heal up wrong if she didn't realize it soon.

Her heart would heal crooked if she succeeded in her quest. It would shatter if she became the dragon she was fighting to avenge her brother.

* * *

Rey ran into the Twin Suns and Kyp's Dozen out in the wasted courtyard.

"Where's my daughter?" Han called.

"Jaina's missing, Father," Anakin replied, looking stricken. "We're about to-"

He was interrupted by a torrent of wind pushing the doors almost closed. Tahiri stopped it with her magical power.

"We need to leave!" Tahiri shouted. "None of this is going to matter if we don't get out! We failed!"

"We're not leaving until we slay the dragon!" Anakin replied. "That's what Jaina would've wanted."

Both squadrons were struggling to keep the doors open. Poe looked between the groups, and gave Finn a kiss on the cheek, whispered something to BeBe the Eighth and ran to the squadrons.

"Twin Suns, Kyp's Dozen, we have to leave!" He ordered. "This is a mission for the royal family, Lady Kanata's Champion. The damsel can come with us."

"No," Rey said, the words falling out of her mouth before she could truly think on them. "They need me. The dragon has a weak spot for me. They need me to make this work."

"Alright then, Twin Suns, Kyp's Dozen, let's move out!" Poe commanded.

When the torches and crowd was gone, Anakin stared at them for a moment.

"Let's go. They won't be waiting that long," Anakin said, and he led them into the main room of the castle, only for Rey to take the lead.

"I know where he sleeps," she said, her heart pounding with the plan she was forming. "I can take you to his chamber. From there. . . You let me tell you when."

They then began up a flight of stairs that once upon a time were grand.

* * *

Jaina noticed that the voice was gone for quite some time. Vaguely wondering how long she had been in the labyrinth, she staggered towards a door where the light was glowing through the cracks in the wood. Her hand reached out for the door. She hesitated for a moment, feeling anticipation, as if she were going to see Tenel Ka or Zekk again, but better.

She pushed open the door and stepped into a room that was utterly destroyed, except for one thing in the center. Within a circle of various salts for protection was a finely crafted silver chair, with ornate carvings that Jaina couldn't quite make out the picture of. Ropes of gold bound a man in black that sat in the chair. Jaina raised her sword as she moved to see past the curtain of hair. She gasped.

"Jacen? What has the dragon done to you?" Jaina asked, rushing to the salt circle, breaking it and rushing to untie it.

Jacen looked up mournfully at Jaina. "You don't understand. Kylo Ren didn't do this to me. Snoke did it. In fact-"

"Sh, you'll be alright," Jaina said soothingly, trying reassure him like she always did when they were children. "Everything will be good now. We'll slay this monster, and you'll go home, where you belong."

"No, you don't understand," Jacen said, starting to stiffen against the ropes. "Kylo Ren and I are one and the same."


	11. Reunion

Right, I shall start where I left off.

Rey pushed open the door she believed to be to the chamber of Kylo Ren. The door creaked open and the words "Kylo Ren and I are one and the same" drifted out along with a cold wind. Finn burst past Rey only to fall to the ground. Anakin and Han ran after him, but they ran to Jacen.

Han stared at his son, tied up in the silver chair. Jaina had dropped her sword and was clutching the side of a toppled wardrobe. Her sword was lying on the ground.

"My son. . ."

"No," Jacen said, sitting up straighter like the chair was a throne, not a prison. "Your son is gone."

"But Jacen!" Jaina cried. "You just told me-"

"It was a moment of weakness, my rotten sister," he snarled. "You all came to kill me! Well, that won't happen if I have anything to say about it, now that you've broken the circle-"

Then, as if he'd been slapped, his face moved to the side, and he mumbled whining sounds, as if he were pleading with someone or something.

"What's going on?" Rey asked from where she was cradling Finn on the floor.

"I don't know, but I don't like it," Han admitted, raising his bow.

Jacen looked up at them, his yellow eyes pleading with them.

"Cut me free, please," he begged. "I'm asking you to free me. The hour is fading! You need to do it now!"

He then struggled against the chair with all force of the limbs.

"Should we?" Jaina asked the others. "I tried to before. . . But something's different. I cannot reach him anymore. I don't know if he is being sincere or not."

"I don't think we should risk it," Han said. "Look what he did to Finn. We have to solve whatever problem he has another way."

"Anakin, please!" Jacen begged, looking extremely sorry. "Please! Break the chair!"

"I'm sorry," Anakin said quietly.

It hurt him to see his brother, his dark, monstrous brother struggle against the bonds they found him in. He didn't want to risk getting hurt like Finn, who Rey was crying over. There was only a minute left until one o'clock.

The party didn't move for a moment as they waited. Then, there was a flash of a blue blade and blond hair as Tahiri Veila slashed through the bonds of the chair. Jacen tumbled to the floor. When he fell, Jaina crumpled to the floor with him, her fingers an inch from her blue-violet sword. After slashing the ropes, Tahiri then continued to stab the chair and shatter it to pieces with impunity.

When she stepped away from the wreckage, she looked feral. Her green eyes were like the wild vines covering the wall of the treasure room. Her blond curls were frizzy from the act, and there was a dark anger in her very being. She took a few deep breaths, then met the piercing blue eyes of Anakin. Upon seeing his face, she calmed, feeding on his serene energy.

"Why did you do that?" Anakin asked.

Tahiri took a deep breath. "I have heard him calling my name for years now. I knew that I had to be the one to free him. I just knew. Like you knew that you had to lead the Dozen after Kyp died."

Anakin nodded, seeming choked up by something. He stepped up to Tahiri and took her hands into his. Without words, they seemed to come to some sort of understanding, and then stepped away.

Rey looked up to Tahiri. "What happened to Finn? What happened to Ky- I mean, Sir Jacen, and that girl?"

"That girl is my daughter," Han said. "Jaina Organa. And I believe they went into some sort of trance, like they did as children."

"As for Finn," Tahiri said as she knelt down. "Jacen cast some sort of spell upon him. I don't know which. We need Jacen and Jaina to wake up in order to wake up Finn."

"Let's move him to a bed," Rey said. They then picked up Finn and moved him onto the one thing that was not destroyed-the bed. Rey then walked over to Jacen and knelt beside him. Sensing her presence, he stirred, causing Jaina to stir with him.

When he opened his eyes, they were the color of brandy.

"Rey," he said, as if he were tasting the word. "I'm so sorry. I lied to you about who I really am."

"Are you Ben Organa?" Rey asked, now remembering the story of the prince that had disappeared in the Dathormir Wood.

"Yes," he said, exhaling many emotions with it. His heart, as I told you reader, was broken and sewn back up crooked. With that sort of heart, dear reader, comes a turmoil of emotions. Within his was guilt, anger, and a sadness. But the guilt is what prevailed in his heart, dear reader.

"Was everything you told me a lie?" Rey asked softly as Jaina got to her feet. "Was it all a lie?"

"No," Jacen said as he sat up. "What I feel for you, that ride. . . All of that was truly me. Something in you woke me up. Woke up the Jacen inside Kylo Ren."

"Ben-"

"Jacen," he interrupted. "Call me Jacen, please."

"Well then, Jacen," Rey continued. "Can you tell me what you did to Finn?"

He paled, looking guilt-stricken. "Your friend? I am so sorry."

"What did you do?" Jaina asked, not yelling or sounding upset, just calm as if it were an easy fix.

"It's a sleeping curse," Jacen said as he scrambled to his feet. "I enchanted the castle to protect its master. If someone were to enter my bedchamber with the intent to harm, they'd fall asleep for a hundred years."

"The Curse of Revan?" Jaina cried. "Brother, you didn't!"

"I did, Jaina."

"Is there a way out?" Rey asked.

"I don't remember," Jacen admitted as he clutched a bit of his hair. "I-I'm not sure."

"Uncle Luke may know the answer," Anakin pointed out.

"But Luke went into hiding," Han said. "After you killed them in your dragon state, the Jedi Order died. He hid, especially after Mara-"

"Mara?" Jacen looked sick to his stomach.

"She died," Jaina said simply. "But Ben, our cousin, is still alive. I know we can find Luke if we look at Poe's map and use our swords- do you still have yours?"

"I do," Jacen answered.

"Get it, and we'll fetch Poe," Rey promised.

As our heroes begin on their quest, rejoice for the lost like Jacen that are now found.


	12. Pursuit of the First Order

My dear readers, do you remember the wonderful transformation that has taken place? I'm glad that you do. The wanderers we follow are not lost anymore, for now they have found their true quest. But it isn't just to save Finn, no. Well, I shall let Jacen tell the tale, shall I?

* * *

There were cheers when the soldiers saw Jaina return triumphant, but Poe's face fell.

"Where's Finn?" he asked, gripping Jaina by the arms, his eyes begging.

"He-" Jaina took a deep breath, glanced at Jacen, and back at Poe. "He's been cursed. It was the dragon's dying spell. Some sort of sleeping spell. We have no idea how to break it."

"We're going to find Luke Skywalker," Jacen said, jumping in. His voice caused every head to turn and for louder cheers to erupt from the crowd. The prince was found, had been saved from the dragon.

The twins didn't have to exchange looks or words to understand that they could never share who Jacen had become, what he really had done all those years ago when they disappeared. Jaina knew the secret, but he knew all of hers. She would always take the burden of their secrets over being like she was for the past fifteen years. Broken, alone, shattered. She never wanted to be surviving all alone again. And she never would be, thanks to Jacen's return.

"We'll get behind you!" Poe declared.

Then there was a roar of an army. They turned to see rising over the hill the First Order of Naboo's knights, led by Dame Phasma. Instead of being the slightest bit friendly, arrows were fired, making the Twin Suns and Kyp's Dozen retreat into the castle. Jacen, Jaina, Han, Finn, Chewbacca, Anakin, Tahiri, and Rey however ran for the woods. They had their chance to finally begin their true quest. They couldn't afford to be holed up in the castle when they had to find Luke.

Their hearts raced as their feet beat steadily against the withered leaves covering the forest floor, a spray of arrows barely missing them as they dodged trees and wicked branches. Why they would attack the heirs and King of Alderaan, no one could reason, at least, not until they stopped in clearing, far from the First Order.

"We need to start a fire," Han announced. "I need someone to go out and fetch firewood."

"I will go," Rey announced. "I know what makes good kindle."

"Take Jacen with you," Jaina suggested. "We shouldn't go alone."

"I will," Rey said, and she looked over to Jacen. "We should get going."

The two began to walk into the wood. When they were out of the others' earshot, Rey turned to Jacen.

"You never told me you were a prince," Rey said quietly. "You never even told me your true name, _Sir Kylo_."

"Milady," Jacen replied, looking very solemn. "I could not tell you because I could not remember. I was under a deep spell with another personality altogether. I only remembered at midnight, and if I were to ever not be in the chair, the personality layer of the spell would be broken."

"But not the dragon layer?" Rey asked.

"Yes, I can still transform into a dragon," Jacen said. "That was permanent. I do not know how to reverse it, though. The important thing is, though, that King Snoke didn't want me to remember who I was."

"King Snoke did that to you?" Rey asked.

"He was the one who cast the spell in the first place," Jacen answered.

"How did it happen?" Rey asked, looking into the brandy-colored eyes. "Why did you leave in the first place?"

"It's a long story," Jacen said hesitantly.

"We've got a long while," Rey said.

"Alright then," Jacen agreed. "Fifteen years ago, when I was fifteen myself, Snoke had become king after Thrawn. My mother didn't like Snoke. While most of Naboo claimed that he was better than Thrawn, my Aunt Mara claimed that Snoke was worse. I decided to see for myself. I went riding through this forest when the First Order found me.

"I warned them to let me free, for I was a prince and a warlock at that, and I was not to be trifled with. That only made them bind me and take me to King Snoke. I waited in the dungeons for three days, only to finally meet him. He turned me into the dragon that had false memories of my family. I thought they were awful, that they hated me, that they'd kill me as soon as they found me. I was told that I would be powerless without the dragon transformation.

"Afterwards, in exchange for protection from his own subjects (I needed to hunt somewhere, and I only ate the cattle, although there were guests before you) he had me go on missions for him. The first was an attack on my uncle's new order of Jedi Knights."

Jacen paused in his story as the tears began to flow like rain.

"I'd been so proud then. I didn't comprehend then what I had truly done. I didn't remember them, except for Tenel Ka, Jaina, and Anakin," Jacen continued. "Ever since, I'd been living as that wretched creature, Kylo Ren. And now we are back to the beginning of the circle."

Rey nodded absently as she took in the full story. She picked up some more kindling, and looked back the way they had came.

"So the dragon is gone?" she asked.

"Only his memories remain," he answered.

"I'm sure you must be pleased," she said. "I am sure your family must be delighted to have you back."

"Oh, they are," he said. "But I must thank you."

"Thank me?" she asked. "Why?"

"You helped me start to overpower Kylo's personality. With you, I began to be more like myself," he answered. "And flying with you is what called my sister to me, the only one who could probably figure out the truth."

"But it was Tahiri who did that," Rey reminded him.

"It was, but she brought Tahiri and Anakin," Jacen said. "But all of that was thanks to you and Finn. So thank you for helping me."

"It was my honor," Rey said with a smile as they turned to return to the camp with the firewood. "Hopefully I will be able to help more knowingly in the future."

"You will," Jacen predicted confidently. "You're special, I can tell. You and Finn are. Both of you are brimming with potential. It isn't just your latent magical powers, although those are plenty enough of an indicator. When I saw you in my dragon state, I could feel the power of the Revanchist around you. Bright as the sun, and just as powerful."

"I don't care about power," Rey said. "I just want to find my family. Tell me, can you predict if I'll find them?"

"It's a guarantee, with your determination," Jacen assured her. "I'm just telling you all of the possible future."

* * *

Isn't it a tragedy, the story of one lost so soon? Someone who meant well but watched it crumble before him? Take pity, readers, on the monsters under your beds. Often, those monsters were once humans who feared monsters, too.


	13. Journey Through the Dathomir Forest

I am back again, my readers. Ready to hear more about the search for Luke Skywalker and another quest they must take on? Quests are things we all have in our lives. For some, the quest is to achieve. Others quest for the lost. And yet others only have the quest of just surviving one last day. Funny how some have done all sorts of quests, but others never dreamed of them. . . Forgive my ramblings. Let us return to our story.

* * *

Jacen and Rey returned to the campsite with no hindrance. Han, Chewbacca, Jaina, Jacen, Rey, Tahiri, and Anakin all sat down to eat the rabbit Han had caught, and they began to discuss where to move on.

"I know that we can find Uncle Luke and break the curse," Anakin said. "But I have a question, Jacen. You told us about why you became a dragon. But why would Snoke do that to the Prince of Alderaan? Doesn't he know that that could start a war if discovered?"

"He did," Jacen answered. "It was some sort of cruel plan. I would be the catalyst and secret weapon of the war. A sort of psychological warfare when I was discovered, you see."

"I do see," Jaina replied. "But why would one want Alderaan? He already has the vast kingdom of Naboo."

"He wants to rule everything, like Palpatine did," Jacen explained. "He wishes to reinstate the Empire."

"The Empire?" Tahiri cried.

"The Empire!" Jacen confirmed.

"We've got to stop this!" Tahiri cried. "We cannot let it happen. What must we do?"

"We need to overthrow Snoke," Han said. "How to do it correctly, though, is more of Leia's business than mine. I will help you however I can, though."

"We need to find the Four Heirs," Rey said. Everyone turned to look at her.

"What?" she asked.

"How do you know that?" Han asked.

"It's in all the stories," Rey said. "There have always been four rulers on the Nubian throne. Only in the recent times have there not been. Palpatine, Snoke, Thrawn. Well, I know that the last four probably have grandchildren now. As to who they are, I'm not sure how we could possibly know, but I'm sure that there's a way."

"Who were the last four?" Jacen asked, looking entranced by her story.

"Padmé Amidala, Revan Shan, Isolder Djo, and Juno Jamilla," Rey said immediately. "The Child Queen, the Revanchist, the Diplomat, and the Beauty. The stories say that Queen Amidala was killed at the hands of her beloved, Anakin Skywalker. That Revan was placed under a curse by someone quite powerful. That Isolder ran away with no heirs, and Queen Jamilla became an advisor for Emperor Palpatine."

"We know Amidala's line," Anakin said quietly. "And Jacen should take her place on the throne."

"I-I couldn't," Jacen protested.

"I am already heir to Alderaan, and Ani is heir to the Jedi," Jaina said. "It's as if our lives have been setting us up for this. This is your place. I know how lost you are."

"I guess I must accept, then," Jacen said softly.

"Now that that's settled," Han said, turning from Jacen to Rey. "How do you propose we track down these other heirs?"

"I don't know exactly how," Rey said. "But perhaps Luke Skywalker will have a clue."

"Let us hope so," Jaina murmured. "I don't have any other clue how we should."

The company ate, and then slept soundly under the stars.

* * *

When Rey awoke the next morning, she saw Jacen and Jaina sitting cross-legged across from each other, their palms pressed against each other's. Rey watched them for a moment, then picked up her sword and began looking for the right herbs and perhaps a rabbit or bird to eat for breakfast. Unfortunately, her search was leading her to see that herbs and plants were not the only suitable options. When she returned, she saw Han was up, and he and Chewbacca were roasting a rabbit.

"I always shoot an extra," Han explained when Rey asked where he'd gotten it so quickly, seeing as he hadn't even been awake when she went scavenging. Rey nodded, accepting this, and looked over at Jacen and Jaina, who were still meditating.

"They do that," Chewbacca said. "Ever since they were three."

"Three years old?" Rey asked, surprised.

"Magic tends to show itself early," Chewbacca said. "With a family as powerful as the Skywalkers, it was bound to show up fairly early."

"How early did it show in Anakin?" Rey asked, looking over to the boy that was still asleep with his arm around Tahiri.

"Only a year," Chewbacca said. "He's got more talent with magic than anyone, excepting perhaps Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker, and Ben Skywalker."

"The Skywalker line must be full of magic," Rey remarked. "Are there any others?"

"Possibly only the Revanchist," Chewbacca answered. "Other than that, there aren't any."

"Interesting," Rey murmured. She felt a certain chill when he said the title of King Revan. As if she should know it in a different way. She didn't ponder on it for long, and she ate while the Organa twins finished their meditation and Anakin and Tahiri awoke.

They then prepared to continue with their journey. They had been walking in the forest for some time when the group chose to take a rest by a stream. Impatient and wanting to get on with the quest, Rey scouted away. She wanted to finish this quest as quickly as possible so she could finish her own quest. She took the parchment out of her backpack and smelled the lilacs once again.

The party once again began their trip, but didn't get very far. Rey had stepped a bit ahead, only to trip over a rope. When she got to her feet, Jacen was right behind her, grabbing her by the waist, only for them to back up into a net. They flew into the air screaming. Jaina, Tahiri, and Anakin raced to their aid, only to end up in nets themselves. Han tried to shoot them down with Chewbacca, ending up only in their capture as well.

"Traps don't work like this!" Rey cried. "This is magic!"

Right as she said this, naturally, a group of women appeared, led by a red-headed lady with one arm. The women smirked coldly at their captives.

"More women for our tribe," the red headed woman remarked. "And a fine amount of slaves. Perhaps us of the Dathomiri have been blessed by Allya herself this day. The village will enjoy a festival tonight."

She then looked up to the captured party. "My fellow ladies, you shall not worry. Women are the rulers of our tribes and the huntresses. Men, I'm afraid to say, are subservient. But if any of the men attempt to escape or if you attempt to help them, I will make my arm injury look tame. Am I understood?"

There was a frantic "yes" in reply.

The lady smirked, and struck the ground with her staff, causing the nets to vanish and rope to bind the men, except for Chewbacca. The lady turned to him.

"We respect the troll people too much to be cruel," she explained. "I am sorry that you were dropped with this lot."

She then proceeded to walk over to pull Jacen roughly to his feet. She paused when she saw his face.

"Jacen Organa?" the lady asked, a sort of tenderness in her voice.

Jacen smiled weakly. "It's been a long time, Tenel Ka."

"It has indeed," Tenel Ka said, and she snapped her fingers. The ropes disappeared, and she helped Han and Anakin to their feet. She turned around to the huntresses. "These men and women are my guests. Is that understood? We will still feast, for this is the royal family of Alderaan!"

There were cheers from the the Dathomiri as they escorted the party away.


	14. Queen Mother Teneniel

Feasting is good for the soul, reader. It is full of physical sustenance, yes. And amazing, it is. This teller of tales has had many wonderful feasts with delicious dishes that are to die for, but that's a digression. But feasting does wonders for the soul, believe it or not. It brings happy times with friends and family. Often, that is all a great deal of good for one. But on the subject of feasts, we must return to our tale.

Tenel Ka strode proudly into the camp of the Dathomiri with her guests.

"The Jedi have come!" she declared, lifting both stump and unhurt arm to the sky. "Long live Skywalker and his apprentices!"

"I'm not a Jedi," Rey muttered.

"You're still one of us," Jacen said softly. "You must have magi in your bloodline. Maybe not your father, but his father before him or his father before you."

"How do you know?" Rey asked.

"How else did you navigate the labyrinth I'd trapped you in during the battle?" Jacen asked. "I could also tell the day I met you. You radiate magic, even if you've never used it."

"So I could be a Jedi?" Rey asked.

"Yes," Jacen answered. "Or Sith. Either way, you will be a powerful magi one day."

"Hopefully," Rey muttered.

"Just enjoy the feasts," Jaina said.

"The Dathormiri are good with their parties," Tahiri added. "Tenel Ka, Jaina, me, and the other apprentices used to have girl nights in the Academy! It was the best! I remember those days well."

There was then an uncomfortable look at Jacen, who looked away. They were taken to the center of the village, where tables and lights surrounded the grove. Upon a thrown sat a woman who looked very much like Tenel Ka.

"Mother," she said, getting on one knee for her mother. She had just dropped to the soft grass when her mother laughed.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Teneniel said with voice like bells. "You will never defer to me, sweet summer child."

"I know," Tenel Ka said as she rose unblushingly. "Mother, I have brought guests. The Jedi."

"The Jedi?" Teneniel cocked her head to the side. "Luke Skywalker's Apprentices? How interesting. And King Solo, I believe, is that right?"

"It is," Han replied. "It's nice to see you again."

"It is," Teneniel agreed. "You'll have to send Leia my love. But the Apprentices-come closer, I want to look at you."

The group reluctantly took steps forward next to Tenel Ka.

"Jaina Organa," Teneniel said. "Are you not the Sword of the Jedi?"

"I am, Your Highness," Jaina answered. "I am also my mother's heir. I will live by the sword and die by the sword for my kingdom."

"So fierce, like her mother," Teneniel mused. "You can relax. Tenel Ka has said many great things."

"Now as for Ben Organa- are you not the one who cut of my daughter's arm-"

"It was an accident-"

"And broke her heart-"

"I never meant to leave for so long-"

"And you have a taint of darkness within you," Teneniel finished. "You have a presence similar to the Nightsisters. Users of the Dark Arts. What have you been doing for the past fifteen years?"

"I'm afraid I cannot say," Jacen said, his face paling the longer he was put on the spot. "Let me assure you, Queen Mother of the Dathomiri, my resolve remains with the light. I paid a price for that darkness which I need to defeat King Snoke."

"Snoke?" Teneniel raised an eyebrow. "Was that your quest, dear boy?"

She glanced at Tenel Ka.

"I told you, Mother," she said in the softest, gentlest tone Rey had ever heard. "I forgave Jacen years ago. There is no bad blood between us."

Teneniel looked back to Jacen.

"Ben Organa, if you have won the forgiveness of my daughter, you are in good standing with me," Teneniel said. "My daughter is much more stubborn and begrudging than I or her father."

Jacen smiled uneasily and stepped away.

"Ah, Anakin. . . Solo? I see you use your father's name-most unorthodox, mind you," Teneniel said. "I've heard that you are the heir to the Jedi. But I must ask-what about Ben Skywalker?"

"My cousin is content to remain the last of the Jedi," Anakin said pointedly. "Wherever he may be. We're looking for him and my uncle. Do you know where they are?"

"In time, young Jedi," Teneniel said. "In time. And who is the lady who never leaves your side?"

"I am Tahiri Veila," Tahiri said. "I am the one Chosen by the Unicorns."

"By the Unicorns?" Teneniel asked, surprised. "Is that the marking on your forehead?"

"It is," Tahiri said proudly.

"May many bright things happen in your future then," Teneniel said. She then looked to Rey. "My goodness, aren't you magical?"

"So I've heard," Rey muttered.

"Speak loudly, dear," Teneniel said.

"Nothing!" Rey squeaked.

"There's no need to be shy," Teneniel said. "Come closer."

Rey reluctantly stepped up to the queen's throne. The queen outstretched her hand but did not touch her.

"I see now," she murmured. "You must tell Bastila that I said hello."

"Bastila?" Rey asked.

"You don't know Bastila Shan?" Teneniel asked. "Are you sure? You have her accent, and such a resemblance!"

"I'm no one," Rey said firmly. "I don't know my family."

"I would find Bastila to start," Teneniel recommended. She looked over at an attendant. "The feast is ready to begin! Long live the Jedi!"


	15. Mara Jade Skywalker

The feast began with cheering and fire. Tenel Ka and Jaina reunited, and the group began to talk, having reunited for the first time in a long time. Rey was having a particularly merry time, eating more than she had for a long time in her long life. She enjoyed the companionship as well, though. When she looked over to Jacen, however, she saw him talking seriously to Tenel Ka, exchanging glances with Jaina, and otherwise ignoring everyone, eating very little.

He finally pushed away and left the group alone when the wine came around. Rey, who had never quite tasted wine, decided she could wait for another time, and went to follow Jacen. From her years in Jakku, she followed him with stealth. He didn't once look behind him to see if she was there or if anyone was following him. He was at the edge of the village, in a grove of trees around cracked stone.

He knelt on the stones in between the trees.

"Ghosts of the Force that binds us all, please, show me the way. Show me what I must do to atone for my actions," he prayed in his low voice. "Grandfather, show me the way."

There was a pause as Rey peered over a tree. She was about to turn around and leave him in peace when a blue glow filled the grove. She looked back, while remaining flat against the tree to see the image of a woman in an elegant dress and flowing (if a bit frizzy) curls and jewels around her neck leaning against one of the other trees.

"Why hello, Kylo Ren," she drawled with a smirk upon her face. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Jacen blanched. "Aunt Mara!"

"Oh relax, nephew, I come in peace," she said, rolling her eyes. "I know about your curse. While I resent your stupidity in getting caught, I don't blame you for the dragonly things."

"You should blame me," he said, hanging his head.

"Don't start pitying yourself," Mara admonished. "Honestly, your quest now is atonement. Which I will help with. I can take you to Farmboy. He's starting to slowly rebuild the Jedi Order, believe it or not. Your damage didn't last forever."

"Thank the Ones," Jacen murmured. "Can you take us after the feasting is done?"

"Why of course," Mara replied. "I am nothing, if not accommodating."

Her head perked up like a hound who had caught a new scent. "Tell me, who is your new sweetheart?"

"No one, my love with Tenel Ka is over," Jacen said stiffly. "I broke her heart, and in return I have caused my own broken heart. I never should've kissed Danni Quee before my disappearance."

"You're just like your sister, Jacen," she said, shaking her head. "Always quite the flirt, the ever-loving knight. I wasn't speaking of Tenel Ka or Danni Quee, believe it or not. Young lady, step up. Let me look at you."

Jacen looked behind him to see Rey peeking out from the trees. She reluctantly started to run, only to hear him call her name.

"Rey!"

There was longing in his voice, mixed with desire and fear. Rey knew those emotions well enough that she knew she had no choice but to turn around. She accepted Jacen's hand that was outstretched to her.

He escorted her back to the smirking blue ghost. Rey felt radiance by being bathed in the light of this woman, although she could feel darker tones. She felt almost a kinship towards this woman, like they could understand each other.

"Now, Aunt Mara, she isn't my girlfriend," Jacen said, despite keeping his hands over hers, enveloping them completely.

"Mm-hmm," Mara said raising her eyebrow. "You're a scavenger, a warrior, a survivor. I can understand that. There was a time when I was an assassin, a smuggler, and a knight. I have worn many cloaks, much like you. I like this one, Jacen. She reminds me of me."

"I thought that wasn't a good thing," Jacen said, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, of course," she laughed. "It's both. Living tempest, half heaven, half hell. Let me tell you, Rey, we are women of the stars. We are goddesses, wielding the sun in our hearts. Use it well, Rey."

"I will, Lady Mara," Rey said, her lips curling to a smile. "I like your Aunt, Jacen."

"Just Mara will do," Mara said.

"I knew you would," Jacen said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "You should talk to Jaina. I know she missed you."

"We did," Mara said simply. "Disadvantage of being out of the loop. I've mostly been haunting Luke and Ben. They need me, unfortunately for Kylo."

Jacen turned red.

"Thank you, Aunt Mara," he said, trying to gather up the shreds of his dignity.

"Don't be too hard on yourself," Mara said, softening. "It's going to take time. Listen to your sister. She's more right than even she knows."

"I will, and thank you for your guidance," Jacen said diplomatically.

"Now take your sweetheart back to the feast," Mara said.

Jacen nodded, and escorted Rey back to the table. There, they continued to celebrate till dawn turned the sky the color of petunias.


	16. The Secret Jedi

Once they awoke from sleeping to midday, the ghost of Mara Jade-Skywalker appeared to the travelers. Jaina grinned upon seeing her and hugged her, only to realize that she couldn't touch her beloved aunt and Master's ghost, but instead basked in the warm glow of the blue silhouette.

"Are you ready for me to take you to see Luke Skywalker?" Mara asked.

Jacen parted his lips to speak when a cry pierced the air.

"WAIT!" Tenel Ka yelled, running to the party. "I wish to follow you. I want to find Master Skywalker, too."

Mara nodded. "If you will accept, I will lead you as well, Tenel Ka."

Jacen looked to her with nostalgic longing. "Of course you may come, Tenel."

She smiled a smile as radiant as the sun, much like Rey, and then bounded gracefully over to the company. Jaina and Tahiri smiled gratefully to see them. They all turned back to Mara. She then began to float across the wood, periodically stopping so the non-ghostly members of the party could rest.

They approached the base of a mountain, then began to climb the summit of the mountain they approached. While some of the Jedi began to tire, Rey kept hiking endlessly, not caring about anything else. Tahiri and Jacen were able to keep up with her better, but there came a time when even they could not match Rey's tireless pace. Mara sighed and stopped.

"I will wait with them," she said. "Just continue up the mountain. I wish I'd known you when I was alive-we probably would've climbed together forever."

Rey nodded as her pulse quickened. She knew from what the Queen Mother had said that Luke Skywalker had the answers to her past. Mostly, it was a feeling in her heart that the old Jedi Master could help her. She wouldn't be stopped by a little thing like exhaustion. The Force seemed to carry the young warlock forever.

She started back up the mountain, leaping up the sides like a goat, faster and faster, almost sensing the correct footing. She would find Luke Skywalker at last. She could find the rumored Bastila. She could find her parents. She knew she could do anything in that moment.

Finally, she approached the hill, and rose over the edge to see Luke Skywalker in front of a gravestone, looking out at the sea. He turned, pulling his hood down. He stared at the young warlock for a moment.

"Who are you?" he asked. "What are you doing here?"

Rey stepped forward uncertainly, her confidence ticking out.

"I need help with magic. I know who you are, Luke Skywalker, and I know you can help," she said. "It's time time for you to return."

"How did you find me?" Luke asked, growing more gruff in expression, as if he recognized her, and it wasn't a good thing.

"Mara, your wife, she led us-"

"Us?"

"Han Solo of Corellia, King of Alderaan, Jaina Organa, Ben Organa, Anakin Solo, Tahiri Veila, Chewbacca of the Kashyyk Wood, and Tenel Ka Djo of the Dathomiri," she said, announcing it proudly.

"Ben?" Luke asked. "You mean Jacen?"

Rey nodded. "Jacen Organa has returned at last."

"So he has," Luke murmured. "So he has. I can see that I cannot avoid this."

"We have to help them, Father," a boy said, rising from behind the grave. With tousled red-gold hair and sky-blue eyes that pierced into Rey, she could instantly tell that he was a boy of kindness and wit.

"Remember what happened to Jacen when he got involved?" Luke asked, turning to his son. "He became a monster! He killed the Jedi and your mother!"

Ben clenched his fists at Jacen's name, but then breathed deep breaths.

"He has redeemed himself, has he not, if he really is here?" Ben said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Unless this is a trap," Luke muttered, looking at Rey suspiciously.

"It's no trap, I assure you," a woman's voice drawled in an accent much like Rey's. "I sense sincerity in her, and I assure you, Luke, I am not easily fooled."

Rey looked to see a woman approach, dressed in the ornate red and yellow robes of the treasure hunters, but also the appearance of a Jedi, she noted. The woman had round blue eyes and a stern expression with two ponytails the color of Rey's hair. Staring at the old graying woman, Rey saw much of herself in this woman, and instantly felt familiarity.

"I know you are not, Bastila," Luke said calmly as the rest of the company came up the hill, while the rest of Luke's company came up the hill. A young man with long black hair in shabby robes, a girl with strange markings on her face, a man who had black hair and Bastila's blue eyes, and a gruff man with a rusty brown beard and shoulder pad.

Jacen stood waiting, while Mara floated over to her husband, bestowing a ghost kiss upon him, then stood next to her son who she so clearly resembled. Very little of his father was in Ben's physical appearance. Jaina, however, ran to the black-haired man.

"Zekk!" she cried, hugging the man, almost crying into his robes. "I missed you so much. I didn't know you'd survived."

"I'm a street rat," he said quietly, affectionately. "I'm a cockroach, I will always survive anything."

"You are so much more than some cockroach urchin," she said just as quietly. She looked over her shoulder. "Perhaps we should talk later."

"That sounds like a fair idea," Luke said. "Come, I will show you my new Jedi Academy."

Jacen remained quiet as he followed them, while Jaina and Zekk stayed behind.

"I missed you so much," she said with a smile. "Why didn't you come to the castle to find me? You knew where it was."

"Jaina, you were interested in Kyp Durron then, a Jedi twice your age. You also had eyes for Colonel Fel of your mother's army. I knew that I could never compete with that. So I left you be," he said. "I decided I should help rebuild the Jedi so we could return one day at the Alliance's darkest hour."

"Oh, Zekk," she said. "I may have had eyes for them, but I had eyes for you the longest. You were my best friend. You still are, and I will love you always."

"You mean that?" Zekk asked, feeling his heart go soft at the thought that maybe, just maybe, he was worth the princess he had met in the streets of Coruscant so long ago.

"Jag and I were never meant to be," Jaina admitted. "And I don't know that I wouldn't have married Kyp had he not died. But I know that you and I were meant to be. Best of friends, lovers-in one universe, or the next one, we were meant to be together in some way."

"That's beautiful Jaina-did Leia finally teach you poetry?" Zekk asked with a smirk.

Jaina punched him lightly in the arm. "She did nothing of the sort!"

"Come along, you two," Han said out of nowhere. "We can talk later. Me and you Zekk, about my daughter."

"Yes sir," Zekk said with a roguish smile that would do Han proud.


	17. Four Heirs of Four Swords

Perhaps I should recount who met at this round table? Luke, the master of Jedi, the greatest of all time-still the greatest I have ever heard of- stood at the twelve 'o clock position, with Bastila on his right hand, his son on his left. Anakin sat next to Ben, and Jacen next to him. On Bastila's right, sat the man who could easily be her son. Then came the scruffy-bearded man, then the lady with tattoos and Tahiri. Zekk and Jaina sat next to Jacen, and were surprised to see Rey take the seat of honor, the seat across from Luke himself.

Mara, Han, and Chewbacca stood to the side, with one being ghost, the other normal, and the last only a mere woodland troll. This was a meeting for Jedi, although it would be witnessed by others.

"Why have you come?" Luke asked. "You haven't had an urgent need for the Jedi before now. I was starting to think the kingdoms were getting along fine without us."

"We need the Jedi more than ever, Uncle," Jacen said. "We need to return the true heirs to the throne of Naboo. Snoke needs to be overthrown more than ever."

The man that was non-Force-sensitive but Jedi covered his mouth with his hand as he concentrated.

"The true heirs? I might be able to help with that. In fact, the four heirs are in this room," the man announced.

"Vaner, perhaps-" Bastila warned.

"Mother, we hold the key to ridding Snoke of his power," Vaner said. "I will do what I must."

"How you are like your father," Bastila mused. "Please continue."

"The first heir is Jacen Solo, the heir of Amidala the Child Queen, Heir to Veruna the Wise," he said. Jacen nodded, accepting his role.

"The second is Tenel Ka Djo, the heir of Isolder the Diplomat, Heir to Allya the Brave," Vaner continued. Tenel Ka couldn't help but smile.

"I accept."

"The third is Zekk Surik of Coruscant, the heir of Jamilla the Jaded, Heir to Meetra the Exile," he announced.

Zekk blinked. "I am?"

Vaner nodded.

"The last heir is Kira Shan of Jakku, the heir of Revan to Conqueror, Heir to Ulic the Wanderer," Vaner said. He then looked to Rey. "My daughter."

"Me?" Rey asked.

Vaner nodded, his dark eyes tearing up. "Let me hold you, daughter."

Rey rushed into the arms of her father, and was hugged by her grandmother as well. For a moment, she almost forgot about everything with the discovery of her parents.

"What happened to my mother?" Rey asked.

Vaner, Mara, and Bastila exchanged a dark glance.

"She left during the Massacre while she was still pregnant with you," Vaner said sadly. "I didn't even know you lived. I believe that Jyn is dead."

Rey's heart sank, but then she returned to her mission.

"I am happy to know you, then," she said. She then turned back to Luke. "I have a personal question. My friend was put into a deep sleep with magic. How do I wake him up?"

"Sleeping spells?" Bastila asked. "I know how to solve those. True Love's Kiss will wake your friend. I know that if I find Revan one day, my kiss will wake him."

"Revan is still alive?" Rey asked.

"He is, captive to Snoke," Bastila answered. "He would've been happy to know Master Skywalker and you if he were still awake. Oh, how I wish- I guess it doesn't matter now."

"Maybe we'll find him," Rey said.

"Perhaps," Luke said. "But you should stay here for the night. Tomorrow, we will begin the journey to retake Theed Palace."

The group nodded and they were dismissed. Mara whispered something to Jacen as Rey continued to talk to Bastila and Vaner.

"What was my mother like?" she asked.

"Very powerful," Vaner said. "She was strong in the Force. There was almost nothing she couldn't do. Like Ganner, like Kyp Durron, she excelled at anything Skywalker told her to do. She and Mara were friends at the Academy. She was also passionate, wild, aggressive, more stubborn than a kelpie."

"Sounds like she would've understood me," Rey said.

"I'd certainly hope so," Bastila said. "Jakku is a harsh environment. I cannot imagine what Jyn was thinking when she left you there alone."

"She was abandoned at fifteen," Vaner said. "I thought she would've known better."

"At least I survived," Rey said brightly.

"At least we're together," Bastila added.

"Rey?"

"I'll be back in a moment." She turned to see Jacen watching her somewhat awkwardly, while Mara smirked in the background.

"What do you need?" she asked.

"I wanted to know if you were happy," Jacen said. "I know you were questing to find your family."

"That's sweet of you," Rey said with a smile. "I am. And I ought to thank you. If I'd never met you or Finn, I'd never have found them."

She hugged him then, causing him to smile much wider than he had in ages.

One path leads to another. Many threads in the tapestry of life intertwine. It is impossible to say what life would be like without one of those threads. Maybe Rey would've found her parents anyway. I do not hold all of the answers, however.


	18. A Sword of Green

The more Rey sat out by the cliff-top, the more she realized that she enjoyed the taste of the world. She enjoyed the whip of the wind, the call of the sea, and just the smell that seemed to linger about all these force-users. Here, she had found family, the promise of friends, even a place in the world. Yet. . .

She wasn't sure she wanted to be a Jedi. She was a warlock, of course, obliged to be one of the legendary Jedi. Her own mother and grandparents were! Vaner hadn't told her, but she just knew that he wasn't a warlock, like her. For some reason or another, Vaner had been born without the gift. But he had passed it on to her.

She curled her knees up to her chest. She felt a presence behind her. She closed her eyes, heightening her senses. She could hear the sound of a cat purring. She instinctively knew that sound.

"Jacen."

"Rey-or should I call you Kira now?"

He sat down beside her.

"I'm still Rey, whether you like it or not," she replied, not looking at him but the sea crashing at the bottom of the cliffs.

"I don't have a problem with that," he said. "I liked sitting here, too, when I was at the academy. Peaceful, isn't it?"

"It is," Rey agreed. "And I've never seen so much water. I never knew."

A sympathetic expression melted onto Jacen's face.

"Well, would you like to hear a joke?"

Rey arched an eyebrow and looked to Jacen, who was grinning like he had the best secret in the world and wanted to tell her.

"Sure?" She had to admit, her curiosity was piqued. She didn't expect the dragon to have any sort of humor (maybe a taste for the darker ironies).

"What do you call the person who brings a rancor its dinner?" he asked.

"What?" Rey asked, bewildered.

"An appetizer," he answered.

Rey's eyes widened. Then a huge laugh burst from her. There was also a sound in the Force, as if a group over the hill had groaned in sheer stupidity and were swiftly silenced.

"That's so stupid!" she cried.

"But funny, right?" he asked, snickering at her reaction.

Rey nodded as she concealed the last giggles.

"Well, Tenel Ka didn't really like them all that much," Jacen said. "She's a bit of a stoic, and Jaina can read my mind, so it's no fun with her."

"Yes, and you told everybody," Ben said, coming over the hill. "Anakin told me stories about how you used to wake him up to tell him another pun."

Jacen shrugged. "I am one with the puns, what else can I say?"

Ben rolled his sky-blue eyes. He then looked to Rey.

"Be careful, the jokes only get worse from here on out. By the way, if you could drop by Master Shan's chamber in the temple, she has something she'd like for you to see."

"Tell her I'll be along in a few minutes," Rey said.

Ben nodded and scampered away.

"I guess you'd better go, right?" Jacen asked. "Bastila's not the type to enjoy waiting. Even if it is her lovely granddaughter."

"You think I'm lovely?" Rey couldn't help but blush.

"Oh, Force give me strength."

Rey about fell off the cliff, if not for Jacen catching her with magic and setting her back down gently beside her.

"Hello, Aunt Mara," Jacen said, hiding his annoyance, instead focusing on remaining unperturbed.

"Don't 'hello Aunt Mara' me," the ghost snapped. "Honestly, you're worse than your sister! Just kiss already! Hells, you're worse than me!"

"Well we can't have that, can we?" Jacen muttered.

"I heard that!"

"You were supposed to!"

Rey exchanged a glance with Mara, and leapt to her feet with her faerie-like agility.

"Well, Bastila needs me, so I've got to go," Rey said. "I'll see you later, Jacen!"

Jacen's screams of frustration were covered by the ocean as Rey scampered away.

* * *

"Grandmother?" Rey asked as she ducked into the chamber where Bastila slept. Two small portraits of two different families. One was of a man and a woman and a small child that Rey didn't entirely recognize. The other was of Bastila, a small baby, and a man with long dark hair and laughing brown eyes.

"Hello, Rey," Bastila said fondly. "I'm glad Ben sent the message to you. I felt that if you will be taking Revan's throne, you ought to have a sword."

"I do," Rey said, unsheathing her slightly rusted iron sword.

"Not that," Bastila said hastily. "A magic sword. Ones like what Jaina and Master Skywalker have. I myself have a quite special one." She heaved a double-edge lightsaber that glowed yellow from her wall. She twirled the sword in a few basic swings.

"I'm going to help you make your own light sword," Bastila said. "So, tell me, what does your heart tell you. Not what you want. Close your eyes, and picture your light-sword."

Rey did so, picturing two green glows piercing her inner vision, coming from two blades joined together. The blades were long and thin, not like some of the others with their leaf-like shapes.

When she opened her eyes, she held the sword in her hand.


	19. All That Does Not Glitter is Gold

The next morning, the party, joined by the rest of the Jedi, Rey began to descend the summit, surrounded by her family and friends. It was a feeling that Rey decided she liked very much. It was everything she'd ever wanted and more. They could and would make up for lost time.

They returned to the castle quite quickly, when Poe ran out to greet them.

"Do you know how to cure Finn?" Poe asked.

"Well, sort of," Bastila said. "He needs True Love's Kiss."

Poe's eyes widened. "I know who it is."

"Fetch them, quickly," Bastila ordered. "We have no time to lose."

Poe nodded. "I am Finn's True Love."

"There's only one way to find out," Vaner muttered. They then began ascending the steps to where Finn was sleeping in his curse. The people stood around, waiting as Poe hesitated for a mere moment. Then he kissed Finn. Reader, there have been no kisses more pure than this. There are many that come closer, like the ones of the legendary Westley and Buttercup, but Poe Dameron and Finn were truly the sweetest of them all.

Finn's eyelids fluttered open as he sat up.

"Poe, where am I?" he asked.

"You're in the castle," Poe said, hugging his sweetheart. "You were a hero, Finn. The dragon is gone."

Jacen shifted uncomfortably, and then knelt to Finn. "I must apologize for my behavior, Sir Finn. I only wish for your forgiveness and pray that I may make it up to you."

"Sir Finn?" Finn asked.

"Haven't you always wanted to be a Knight?" Rey asked. "We'd like to make you one."

"But only kings can make Knights," Finn protested.

"We are kings," Zekk said, looking over at Jacen, Tenel Ka, and Rey. "We are the Lost Heirs, and we shall make you Captain of the Knights when we reclaim the throne."

"It's all I ever wanted," Finn said in wonder. "I wanted to be a Knight, like my father, Quarsh Panaka, captain of Amidala's guard. I hoped maybe I would surpass him and become a Jedi Knight."

"You are strong with the Force, Finn Panaka," Luke said. "If you wish to become a Jedi Knight, I will train you in the ways of the Force. Keep my father's sword-you use it well, like Mara did before you."

"Tis true," Mara said with a shrug and a smile.

"We just have one thing to do before we retake Theed," Vaner said. "We must prove the Heirs' worth."

"How?" Tenel Ka asked fiercely.

"The Treasure Room," Rey said, eyes widening.

"What?" Finn asked.

"Follow me," Rey said. She descended the steps quickly, mostly Jacen, Tenel Ka, and Zekk managing to keep up with her boundless energy. She found the wall she'd cut ivy away from and pushed open the door. Jacen concentrated, and a big, black dragon loomed in the courtyard once more. He then created torches with his breath, lighting up the chambers that danced in golden coins.

Zekk picked up a handful. "If we distribute this evenly, we can make things better for the people!"

"We'll do it," Jacen promised. "We'll make sure that the kingdom is restored to its former glory."

"Come along," Rey urged. She continued down the steps to the trunks that had somehow closed itself. Jacen stood in front of the trunk of Veruna the Wise and lifted the blue sword gently. Tenel Ka instantly picked up the green sword of Allya the Wild. Zekk held the golden sword of Meetra the Exile. Rey pulled the red of Ulic the Wanderer from its place. The four Heirs lifted the swords instinctively. They touched at the tip, creating a violet and the sound of time's own song rang out.

Startled, they withdrew their swords. Ben burst down the steps.

"Come out to the courtyard and try it again," he said. "I can see now that the swords hold the power to reclaim the castle. Come on!"

They followed Ben Skywalker out to the courtyard, where the Rogue Squadron and Kyp's Dozen waited, tired and anxious to see the royalty. In an ethereal dance, the four lifted their swords to the sky and touched. The purple wave of light overtook the castle, transforming the dark and gloomy icon into an extraordinary lakeside palace that it had once been.

"Bast Castle is ours!" Rey declared.

"Let Snoke try to take it from us, and our birthright," Tenel Ka added.

"I'd like to see him try," Zekk snorted. "He knows we have returned now."

"Let him come," Jacen said with a new determination. "We shall reclaim Theed Palace!"

Cheers for the Kings, the Queens, the new golden age for Naboo dawning arose from the people.


	20. The Ragged Queen

The Four Heirs lined up in front of Theed Palace, where Snoke was hidden inside. The first was Rey Shan, heir of Revan, wielding her two green blades jointed together. Next was Jacen Organa, heir to Amidala wielding green as well. Next to him was Zekk Surik, heir to Jamilla, his orange blade drawn. The final proud heir was Tenel Ka Djo, heir of Isolder with green as well.

While the others, including Han, Jaina, Anakin, and Tahiri would lead soldiers on foot to retake the capital, Coruscant, Finn, Luke, and Bastila would help the Four Heirs get inside the palace and find King Snoke. All they had to do was kill the usurper, and the crown was theirs. They would free Naboo from their dark age forever.

The guards in red had been diverted by Jaina, Ben, and Anakin. Now the Heirs and their protectors began to run down the long walkway tattered Crimson flags that fell down as the Heirs continued to, blossoming into the beautiful silken flags of the Naboo. The cracked stones repaired and cleaned themselves with every step of the Four. The castle was healing from the damage of Snoke with the magic of the Heirs.

Rey pushed open the doors to see the castle, stark and dark. As she and the other three stepped in, the room seemed to glow and became more beautiful as they were restored by the magic of the true kings and queens. Bastila and Luke guarded them in the back as they continued up the stairs while dark knights ran to help in the battle outside, not bothering with the Jedi Knights in front of them. They kept storming their way through the castle, ready for a fight when they would get it.

That's when the Knights of Ren approached.

Dressed all in black with red-glowing axes and maces and sabers of strange proportion, the Knights, only a band of seven now, stared down the Heirs and their guardians.

Rey and Tenel Ka exchanged a glance, and threw themselves into the fight. Their swords began to clash fiercely, creating sparks that danced off of the blades, creating pushes and pulls with their magic, aiding them in their fight. Jacen, Tenel Ka, Luke, and Zekk fought together in a certain sync, while Rey was struggling a few beats behind. Proud Bastila fought by herself with a peculiar arrogance for a Jedi Knight.

Within seconds, Tenel Ka, Zekk, and Jacen had simultaneously killed two of their foes with ease, almost like a dance. Bastila herself had taken down another, and Luke had three to his count without even using his green sword, only using magic.

Rey still struggled with the female Knight of Ren left standing and had barely struck her down when the others came to her aid.

"I don't need any help!" Rey protested through gritted teeth.

Jacen nodded, regarding her seriously. They then burst into the throne room. There, upon the throne, sat a giant man with half of his face wrecked.

"Kylo Ren," the man announced in his creaky voice. "You have returned."

"My name is _Jacen Solo_ , and I will not be seduced by the dark side," Jacen snarled. Without a second thought, he transformed into the dark dragon and shot an arc of flames at the infamous King Snoke. Snoke simply put up a hand and deflected the fire, which Jacen barely dodged in the air.

"Good try, little king, but you cannot beat me with the gift I gave you," Snoke said, his laugh shaking dust from the arches of throne room far above their heads.

Jacen let out a roar, and flew back at Snoke, who dodged, still not hitting the ceiling. Tenel Ka, Rey, Zekk, and Finn all ran at Snoke, trying to cause whatever damage they could. Before Rey could take a hit at Snoke's ankles, she was overwhelmed with the smell of lilacs.

"Why isn't he bleeding?" Zekk asked, panicking at the sight.

"Oh no," Bastila said, and she and Luke exchanged a glance before pulling the heirs away.

"Oh yes," Snoke said, and the image vanished. All that was there was a woman with hazel eyes and reddish-brown hair partially covered by her gray scarf. A ragged queen arose from her throne. Rey became paralyzed by the scent of lilacs as the ragged queen walked to her, taking her chin in her hands.

"Hello, Kira Rey," the ragged queen said.

"Mother," Rey breathed.


	21. Darkness Within Light

"That's right," the Ragged Queen said. "I am your mother. Snoke was never a name I liked, admittedly."

"You might not have been the one who stole our throne, but you can restore it," Rey said. "Mother, you might've left me in Jakku, and I might've thought you were dead until now, but we can end this here-the tyranny, the curses-"

The Ragged Queen laughed.

Jacen drew near Rey, wrapping an arm around her protectively as the Ragged Queen pulled a sword out of the staff she'd been holding-both sword and staff looked old, but Rey could feel the power drifting off of the blade. She wasn't fooled for one second about what could happen.

"DUCK!" she screamed, pulling Jacen down with her to the cold, hard floor.

A red beam shot above their heads, barely missing each other.

Jacen and Rey shared a glance, and they pulled out the Four Swords of the First Kings. Tenel Ka and Zekk followed suit as they raised their swords of green, blue, red, and gold.

The Ragged Queen smiled.

"So it begins," she declared. "When I have my way, the so-called heirs to the throne will be dead on the drawbridge for all to see! My rule will be forever!"

"Regimes come and go, Jyn," Luke said. "Remember when you played your part in taking down the Dark Emperor? What made you become like this?"

"When I was the one who got captured, much like your precious Mara," Jyn sneered. "When he remade me into the Emperor's Wrath, the one who would deal the rage with Vader. And now I can have all the power! Now I will live forever, and my rule with it!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Tenel Ka shouted, raising her sword.

"Not if I have anything to say as well!" Zekk added, raising his to touch hers.

"It's my turn now!" Jacen yelled, touching the tip of the blue to the others.

"I'm sorry, Mother," Rey said regretfully, and she completed the circle. A violet light overtook the room as the Ragged Queen raised her sword and staff, shooting the red beam at them. It made Jacen in particular falter, but they stood their ground.

While their fight was grounded in magic that made the throne room shake violently in the violet light, Finn, Bastila, and Luke exchanged a glance, then they attacked the Ragged Queen. She held them off brilliantly with her sword and X-blades she levitated around her.

Then, with one clean swipe, Bastila was on the ground, blood seeping from her body.

"NO!" Rey screamed, and she became even more determined than ever. "You won't hurt anyone, ever again!"

With that, she broke the circle, running at the Ragged Queen with hit after hit, fueled by her anger, anger that the woman who continued the Empire, the woman who left her for dead in Jakku, the woman who destroyed the Jedi, who hurt Jacen, who broke her family.

She broke the stupid staff in two with a clean cut, and used magic to knock the sword out of the Ragged Queen's hand. She let it clatter onto the ground in a burst of dark energy, pushing her mother to the ground in the same way.

Now she hovered over her mother with her blood red blade of her ancestors before her.

"And now you'll pay," Rey snarled, raising her sword to deliver the coup-de-gras.

"REY!"

She didn't dare turn around, but she did hesitate, in shaky breaths as the world seemed to draw to a halt, hanging in the moment. She could taste her fear, the feeling as if she was walking off the edge of a cliff, as if her flight with Kylo had taken a horribly wrong turn and she was free-falling.

"If you kill her, you'll be just like her!" Jacen shouted, and she could hear him running up behind her.

"I don't care," Rey said, and in a moment of intuitive darkness, lightning shot from her fingertips, causing Jyn to scream and writhe until she went still and silent.

In that moment, reader, Rey had made her choice. Perhaps it isn't the right thing, but maybe it was. Matters like these are never so straightforward-but this choice was right for Rey.

She turned to Jacen, Tenel Ka, Zekk, Finn, and Luke, who all stared at her.

"It had to happen," she said quietly. "Come on, let's restore Theed Palace."

Jacen was the first to nod, then Tenel Ka, and at last, Zekk. They all raised their swords to the point, and the violet light remade Theed Palace like it was in the old days.


	22. Happily Ever After

The next day in Coruscant, there was to be a parade from the Bast Castle to Theed Palace for the coronation. Rey gazed out of the balcony, dressed in colorful sky-blue dress that had been given to her as she wore the hairstyle of Bastila when she was queen, with two pigtails and a ponytail off the top with several elegantly teased loose strands. She looked like the old queens before her in all her glory, about to continue their wisdom.

All this will be mine, she realized as she surveyed the land, with the rivers and forests, and Coruscant itself. She could only hope that she would rule it well with the help of Tenel Ka, Jacen, and Zekk. They had almost avoided her after she'd given into the darkness and had killed her mother.

What else was I supposed to do? Rey thought angrily. What left is there to do?

At that exact moment, she heard a clean knock at the door.

"Knock, knock."

"Who's there?" Rey demanded.

"Beru."

Rey arched an eyebrow, finally recognizing the voice of Jacen Solo.

"Beru who?"

"Don't cry!"

Rey couldn't help but crack a smile and roll her eyes at the stupidity of Jacen's jokes. She opened the door, and was taken aback. He cleaned up nicely, with fluffy, shiny dark hair, a green shirt, and overall elegant green and brown detailing on his princely outfit. He looked every inch the reborn Prince, about to become the King of Might for Right.

"You look beautiful," he said as he lifted her hand to his lips.

"Thank you," Rey murmured. "I suppose you look. . .nice, too."

"I appreciate that," Jacen said with a grin. "Are you ready for the parade?"

"I suppose so," Rey said, looking over her shoulder at the view below. Once she mounted her horse, she would become a queen forever-no going back from there.

"It's pretty impressive, isn't it?" Jacen asked as he stood next to her. "Don't worry, I know you'll make a good queen."

"I certainly appreciate that," Rey murmured. "Especially seeing how no one would trust me after I killed her. I know you probably don't trust me."

"What?" Jacen looked taken aback. "Rey, why would you think that?"

"You tried to stop me," she said quietly. "I know you wanted me to let her live but I just couldn't-"

"Maybe I didn't want you to," he admitted, taking her hands into his. "But I let you. Why? Because I trust your judgement, Kira Rey Shan."

Rey could only stare back at those hazel eyes.

"I love you, you know."

"I know," he replied, and he leaned down for the kiss. It was one of the truest loves of the days of old, reader, the days of tales as old as time. It was sweet, pure, everything that Rey had ever wanted in her first kiss-which tasted like the snow that fell upon the mountains she'd never seen. For Jacen, her lips left the taste of the sun, sweet and more vivid than one could simply describe. In that moment, two had become one, just for one moment.

When they parted, Jacen offered his arm to her. She smiled and accepted. They descended the stairs to where Zekk and Tenel Ka were astride their horses, Jaina, Ben, Anakin, and Tahiri having already left for the parade route.

Some serving maids helped the two on their horses, and they began to ride through the streets of cheering people, ready to embrace the monarchy of four once more. The ride was an eternity of rose petals and streamers and blowing kisses, amongst other things. When they had arrived at the steps of Theed Palace, Rey was quite sorry.

The Four Heirs dismounted and knelt in front of Princess Jaina.

"I have come, as I was asked," she said in her powerful voice. "I have come to declare the Heirs of Amidala, Revan, Isolder, and Jamilla as the kings and queens their grandparents once were. I can only hope they will rule with their predecessors' wisdom.

"I give you King Zekk the Seeker, the one who will find the good in this kingdom and will always find the solution to your problems," Jaina declared as she placed the crown on Zekk's head, who smiled in a somewhat silly way at her.

"Long live King Zekk!" the people chorused.

"I give you Queen Tenel Ka, the Warrior, the one who will fight for you in times of war and protect you in times of peace," Jaina announced, nestling the crown in Tenel Ka's fiery braids.

"Long live Queen Tenel Ka!"

"I give you King Jacen, the Philosopher, the one who will question what is right and wrong and will do right by all of you," Jaina added as she somewhat awkwardly adjusted the crown.

"I give you Queen Rey, the Avenger, who has won you your freedom, and will continue to avenge those who have wronged Naboo," Jaina said.

"Long live Queen Rey! Long live the Four Heirs of Naboo!"

The Kings and Queens looked out to the people who would come to love them in the years to come. They ruled peacefully and wisely, as fortold by Jaina. Poe and Finn became the Captains of the Rogue Squadron and the Amidala Squadron and would protect the two kingdoms in harmony.

In laughter and love, they lived happily ever after.


End file.
